


Most Wanted

by viceversa



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Alternate Universe, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Kid Fic, MSR, Slow Burn, but they gotta slow burn through it, instant family, they're in love okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-03-15 05:03:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 52,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13606122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/viceversa/pseuds/viceversa
Summary: It's all over - the conspiracy is crushed, imminent invasion no longer a threat. Mulder and Scully have enjoyed their reprieve, but when Mulder disappears from the office for a whole week, Scully is afraid at what he's hiding from her. His news will bring them closer in a way which Scully had only dreamed of before.





	1. Chapter 1

It was my turn to grab lunch, and I had decided on sandwiches from a small place just around the corner. Mondays were paperwork days, which meant trying to find someplace semi-healthy to eat. I wasn't gone more than 20 minutes, but when I got back Mulder wasn't at his desk. At first, I didn't think anything of it, just placed his lunch on his desk, but after an hour had gone by I called him. 

He answered after my second attempt, sounding rushed. 

"Mulder."

"Mulder, it's me. Where are you?"

"Oh, shit, sorry Scully. You were getting lunch. I, ah-" he pulled the phone away from him to talk to someone else. "I got a call just after you left and had to run and, uh. Listen, I'll be out the rest of the day. At least. I'll see you tomorrow."

And then he hung up on me. Not the first time that's happened, by far.

My first reaction was annoyance, this wasn't anything new for him to go running off in the middle of the day. We weren't in the middle of a case, just catching up on neglected paperwork from previous weeks. He probably took the first opportunity to avoid paper pushing that he could.

But now this was a little unlike him, to just run off and not tell me or bring me along. Not after everything that went down almost a year ago-the destruction of the syndicate, the truths revealed about his sister and my abduction, the dismantling of a supposed invasion by faceless rebels. We had dug at the truth, and while we could never reveal what we experienced to the public, it seemed for now that the big conspiracy that had been haunting us since day one was all behind us. 

God it was a relief. It was awful, going through the end and seeing all the horror played out in front of us, but now, after we recovered, it had been over six months of normal cases-normal for us anyway. We'd been all over the country, tracking down the assorted truths about monsters real and imagined. It was like old times, a little lighter. I could feel myself regaining some of the wonder and curiosity I used to embody in our earlier cases. We were closer, though, spending more and more time outside of work together.

But this sudden disappearance from Mulder scared me a little. Just one day was fine, but that quickly turned into a week-long absence. On Tuesday morning I woke up to an email from him, also addressed to Skinner, informing us that he was taking personal days for the rest of this week, at least. 

I called him almost immediately that morning, but only got his voicemail. A small, hardened place in my stomach began to tighten more, wondering what the hell he'd gotten himself into. 

He left a message on my answering machine Tuesday afternoon, not saying much more than he was safe and to not worry. 

Did he even know who he was talking to? Not worry my ass, but I would try. I trusted his judgement after our lives had depended upon it so often in the past.

On Wednesday I left the office early, having finished up most of the backlogged reports, only a few needed Mulder's input as well and we'd be caught up. I went straight over to Mulder's apartment, but he wasn't home. I was about to call him again but I noticed that his cell phone was discarded on his couch. There didn't seem to be signs of a struggle, and I hate that that is the first thing I look for. 

I left him a note, just telling him to tell me what the hell was going on, or at least that I'm being paranoid, but I knew something was off. Something big was happening, and the worst thing about it is that he felt the need to keep it from me. 

I lingered, but my restless anxiety got the better of me and I left to do anything else.

That night I couldn't help myself and I called the Gunmen, but all they said is that their surveillance on Mulder hadn't shown any red flags to be concerned about and that he was probably just dealing with something personal. 

Personal? We'd been through the most personal traumas and hells in existence together. We were best friends, and partners, and we outlived and outran countless evils. His entire family, as far as I knew, was dead, and his personal life was mainly me, the Gunmen and his fish.

In fact, I now admit to myself, the last few months had not just been a reprieve from conspiracy, but a chance for us to grow a little closer as two people. Our happiness at the dismantling of all that is evil, as we jokingly called it, made our bond even tighter, and I could feel us moving in a direction that felt more personal, even a little romantic. 

Personally, I'm looking forward to that part of it. I won't deny my feelings for him, not any more. Part of me always assumed that something would happen between us since I felt the chemistry on our first case, but through the years I began to feel like he was my fate. It sounds dramatic, but I really can't imagine sharing my life, all the insane and horrific aspects of it, with a stranger. It feels only natural at this point. Mulder has been by my side through it all, and I his, and now that things are calming down again I felt like we could really have a chance, finally, to see what we could be together without the oppressive weight of The Conspiracy on our shoulders. 

On Thursday, our game of phone tag ended when he called me in the office, just as I was about to storm over to his apartment and demand answers. 

"Hey Scully," he said. 

"Mulder what the hell!" I almost yelled. 

"Whoa, hey, calm down there Scully. What's wrong?"

"Seriously?" I took a breath, pinching my nose in an attempt to calm down. He obviously wasn't in immediate mortal danger or he wouldn't be this relaxed about it. Or, well, maybe he would. "Are you just calling to chat or do you have news?"

"Well, I don't know if you've heard any rumors, but I want you to meet me tomorrow and I'll explain why I've left you with the paperwork this week."

"Can't you just tell me now?"

"What, and ruin the surprise? No chance. See you tomorrow, I'll send you the address in a bit." Mulder hung up and I wondered what kind of game he was playing here.

I waited in front of my computer until his message popped up. It was an address in Alexandria, just a few blocks adjacent to his apartment. What could he want to reveal to me? I almost went over there that night, but I managed to rationalize my feelings and wait. Barely.

Friday, finally. I damn near went insane trying to imagine what he's got up his sleeve for me all last night until I had a few glasses of wine to calm down. My day was shot to hell on productivity. I was completely caught up on work, having spent the last few days making up Mulder's half of the paperwork. I spent the last few hours in the office frustrated, rifling through new leads, not that there were many, and some emails forwarded to us by the rest of the FBI, most of them jokes. I went home before 4pm. 

Mulder's email specified an early 6 o'clock meeting time. That's enough time to be home and prepare for whatever he had in store for a few hours before heading over and finding out the big secret of the week. 

As I got ready, staring at myself in the mirror, I realized that I pretty pissed at him for keeping whatever this is secret from me. Not a small part of me was disappointed too. I felt like this was finally our time to grow. We now had the emotional room to explore something more than just partnership, and he could ruin it with whatever he's been hiding all week. 

I straightened my shoulders in front of the mirror. Whatever was about to happen, I decided that I won't walk away from our chance at a future. If anything, this week away from him has strengthened my resolve to be with him, or at least to try. Short of him outright rejecting me, I am going to tell him what I want soon-be it tonight or in the near future. 

I made up my mind and changed into something a little more casual than my work attire, dark blue jeans and a black V-neck sweater, only a little more revealing that what I usually wear. I also freshened up my makeup and grabbed my gun-who knows what tonight could bring. 

Suddenly I remembered following him to a haunted house on Christmas Eve and desperately hoped that we weren't walking in on another trap like that. 

I drove to his mystery location, letting in the cool autumn breeze through the windows, and tried to calm down. Whatever he was going to show me was personal, and important enough to take him away from the office, away from me, for the entire week. 

The house I pull up to was nice, if small, maybe half the size of my mother's home. It had a newly trimmed yard with a few nice-looking bushes up against the railing of the small porch. The house was light blue, with off-white trim, and blended in perfectly with the rest of the tightly-space houses on the block. Mulder's car was the only one in the narrow driveway, so I pulled in behind him. 

A nice house, in a nice, safe area. I knew that any myriad of horrific and terrifying things happen in places deemed nice and safe to the cursory glance, but this house didn't trigger any of my instincts that something was wrong. Maybe because I knew that Mulder was inside waiting for me. 

The first thing I noticed when I stepped out of my car is how quiet it was, and this house was just few blocks away from Mulder's apartment on a busy street. The lights on the porch and inside were on, and I took a breath to steel myself before I walked up stairs and to the door.   
I rang the doorbell, thinking it'd be rude to just try and walk in, and heard Mulder call out, "Just a sec!" 

Less than a minute later, he opened the door. Mulder, finally, in front of me for the first time since Monday. It sounds pathetic but I'm used to seeing him all day, every day, and I have been for years. This kind of separation when both of us are unharmed and conscious has been very rare. I felt myself smile and relax in his presence. 

"Long time no see, Mulder."

His arms were extended above his head, one holding the door and the other on the doorjamb. "Scully! I've missed you. I, ah," he ducks his head and smiles a little, "I want you to meet someone. Come on in."

He turns his body to let me through and guides me into a warmly lit living room with a hand on the small of my back. The first thing I notice is what looks like Mulder's couch, surrounded by boxes-wait, did he move here? Since I went to his apartment Wednesday? And then, catching my eye on the floor, a brightly colored play-mat, on which is an infant child enraptured with an array of toys arching over him. 

"Scully," Mulder put his arm around my shoulders. "I'd like you to meet Henry, my son."


	2. Chapter 2

I didn't know how to react-his son? To be fair, I had no idea what to expect after this week of secrecy, but really, Mulder having a child? Where did he come from? Who-who was the mother? Oh, god, was I about to meet her?

I must have been frozen because the next thing I saw was Mulder in front of me holding my shoulders. 

"Whoa, hey there. I can see you're in shock," he said. I could've hit him for his deflecting if I could bring myself to move. "Understandable. I think I'm still in shock myself. No, I'm not an alien, this isn't a trap, blah blah the usual."

"Um, Mulder. You have a-?"

"A son. Yes. His name is Henry."

The small child on the mat behind Mulder squealed and he turned to get down on the floor next to him. 

A child?

I stood still, taking in the scene in front of me, and had a horrible flash of Mulder crouching in front of Emily years ago, another child to come out of the blue and in to our lives. He was so immediately good with her… No. I can't think about that. I have mourned and moved on as best I can. 

I didn't want to ask the wrong question here, lest I say something wrong or inconsiderate, so I remained silent. There was also the small chance that I would open my mouth and spill out nonsense, so silence was best all around. 

After a few beats of Mulder entertaining is son, he started speaking.

"I guess it's explanation time, Scully. I know I didn't talk to you about this all week and I'm sorry. I wasn't ignoring you, but I was kind of overwhelmed."

Finally, something I could intelligibly respond to. "I could've helped, Mulder, you can always call me. With whatever this is-what exactly is the story here?" I moved over to the couch and sank down across from him, thankful for the familiar support of the worn leather beneath me.

"Okay," he adjusted himself on the floor, close enough to the baby but facing me. "On Monday I got a call from social services in D.C. They wanted me to come down immediately because a woman had died and, in her will, she named me as the father of her 6-month-old child."

My eyes must have widened because he then said, "Yeah. I know."

My mind filled with a thousand questions, like who was she and what did she mean to Mulder? But I let him continue. 

"I immediately thought that there had been some kind of mistake, or that this was an elaborate joke, but really, how many Fox Mulders are there out in the world?" he sighed. "I asked for more information, but all they told me was the woman's name-Agatha Dean.

"I remembered that name because when I met her at a bar, we sort of bonded over our horrible first names. Her mom was an Agatha Christie fan, my mother was insane, and so on. It was a nothing conversation, really, and I think that's all we talked about. A drunk one-night stand, over a year ago. It was stupid and I immediately regretted it, what I remembered of it anyway. It was all in the middle of that mess, and I was so sure that everything was crashing down, so I made bad decisions in between almost losing it all. We happened to be at the same bar, and I honestly don't think we got further than the bathroom, which is too much information I know but it was honestly rushed and embarrassing. I don't make a habit of having partially anonymous sex in bars, despite what people may think of me."

A flash of unearned jealousy hit me suddenly, but I quickly tried to brush it off. I honestly didn't think Mulder had been with anyone since we'd been partners aside from the encounter here and there on cases. I hadn't since Philadelphia, and I had another flash of empathy for Mulder, this time about drunken one-night stands. I had no room to claim Mulder as my own, not in that regard. Not yet. Besides, a woman was dead, I reminded myself.

"The next thing I really remember from that night is puking my liver out into the bushes outside of my apartment," he continued. "I didn't think anything else of it after that, and it was only a few weeks later when everything really started to go down with the syndicate. I only remembered after they said her name, so that's why I had to leave so suddenly on Monday-god was that only on Monday?" Mulder shook his head at the insane course this week had obviously taken him on. 

I tried to keep him talking, keeping my voice even and low. "What happened when you got there? What did they tell you?"

He started, knocked out of his contemplation. "Oh, um. Well I was sent into a room to meet with the lawyer assigned to the case. He reviewed my ID and made sure I was me, and then read me the portion of her will that named me the father and legal guardian in the event of her death. I don't know why she didn't tell me about him when she had the chance, when she obviously remembered my name."

"There could be a thousand reasons, Mulder," I murmured, not sure if he heard me. I don't know what I would have done in a similar situation, years ago when it could have happened. 

He gathered Henry into his arms and adjusted to sit cross-legged on the floor, gently playing with the baby's-his baby's-tiny fingers. I was stuck again by the picture in front of me, Mulder, a father. 

"She knew I was an FBI agent, I remember showing her my badge to prove that my name really was Fox. I just never imagined-" he cut off. "I didn't even know her, not at all, and because I was stupid and drunk I fathered a child with her. An accident. She didn't even tell me, never tried to get in contact. I don't know why. I don't know my own child's mother at all."

I could tell he was holding off tears of stress and frustration, which cut right into my heart. God, what a week he'd been through-I knew the feeling, to suddenly discover that I was a parent without anyone telling me. It was a horrible, wonderful feeling, like you've let down your child by not being there for them when they needed you most but the joy of having brought precious life into this world was just so overpowering. But this, having sex with an anonymous woman and learning about Henry only after a tragedy, I wondered how Mulder was still functioning.

"Now I'm a father. Believe that Scully?" He looked up at me with shiny eyes. 

I couldn't help but drop down on my knees and slide over to him and Henry, reaching around and embracing him. "I'm so happy for you, Mulder. It's one of the best things you can ever be." I smiled softly against his strong, warm shoulder. "I am in a unique position to know almost exactly what you're feeling right now, and I know it's a lot, but I am so, so happy for you." 

He leaned his head on to mine for a minute and I could feel us both just absorbing the moment together. I released him after a bit and, still leaning on him, reached out to the little form in his arms to play with his tiny fingers. Henry had dark, thick hair and bright hazel eyes and he was wearing a blue striped onesie. He was the perfect picture of a healthy baby boy wrapped in Mulder's steady arms. 

Mulder continued his story softly as I caressed his sleepy son in his arms, the words still tumbling out as Mulder decompressed. 

"I was stunned when the lawyer told me all of this, I didn't know what to think. They were holding him in the social services nursery close by, and he took me over to meet Henry. I, ah-I knew he was mine as soon as I saw him, Scully. And before you think about it, he bleeds red and everything matches with my samples short of the DNA test that'll be in late next week, but it was all good enough for the courts to release him into my custody officially. My son."

"Your son," I lifted my head from his shoulder and smiled up at him, his face just inches away and beaming. "He's perfect, Mulder."

A tear finally escaped from Mulder's eyes and he held his child closer. "He is. He might have my nose though, god help him," he laughed. "As soon as I saw him, I fell in love. He's so little, Scully, but he knows so much. He loves looking around and exploring and sometimes he'll grab my nose and it's so damn cute." He paused to adjust Henry in his arms. "Thanks for listening to all this Scully. It's good to get this whole story all out, I feel like it was all a dream and now it's starting to feel really, really real." Mulder is interrupted when Henry started fussing. 

After a minute or two of trying to calm him, I interjected. "He's probably tired. It's been a rough week for him, too." I get up and Mulder starts to stand with the baby in his arms and thinks better of it and raises him slightly up to me. 

"I've never spent this much time with a baby before, not since Samantha was this young and even then I didn't have to take care of her. I've spent every free minute this week reading baby books and parenting books, but as far as I can tell it's a lot of guesswork until they start speaking."

I gently hold the fussy Henry in my arms, and when I start to sway a little he finally stops squirming and looks up at me, wide-eyed, as if I was a great new mystery to him. I recognized that look-he was Mulder's child for sure. 

"I think he likes me," I murmur as soon as Mulder is upright again. 

"What's not to like," Mulder replies with a smirk. "We should probably get him to bed." 

Mulder turns and I follow him down a bare hallway into a bedroom-turned-nursery. It's fully decorated, probably by people the Gunmen or Mulder hired. 

"This is the only room that's done," he supplied. "I got everything Henry had at his mother's apartment brought here. She didn't have much family or many friends, only distant relatives that received a few things, but they didn't contest the part of the will concerning Henry, so the district boxed up the remainder of her belongings and put them in storage, which I now have the key to. I had the guys sort through the stuff and get all of his things over here. The rest will wait for another day."

While Mulder was talking he took the baby from me and changed him into his sleep outfit, gently placed him in his crib and nudged the small mobile of planets over his head.

We both looked down at him as he started to drift off, reveling at the sight of a sleepy baby.

Softly, Mulder kept speaking. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, Scully. I thought of you first when I heard the news but it's just been all so much. It seemed too good, too amazing and confusing to be true. I wasn't totally sure I'd get to keep him, or if I even should be allowed to be a dad. I thought he would be pulled away from me at the last second or something. But - he's all mine Scully. I'm a father."

I hugged his arm, overwhelmed the same as him at this change in his life, in our lives. "I get it, Mulder. This is a lot, it's everything-this is something you don't want to mess up."

He turned his body and pulled me into a hug. Being hugged by Mulder is one of my favorite sensations in the world. We fit, like we were made for each other, despite the admitted height difference. "Thank you, Scully," he muttered into my hair. "You would never mess this up, though. You could only make it better."

Mulder kissed my head and relaxed back into the hug, taking the support I was offering him.   
Standing there, encircled in his arms in the nursery room of his son, I felt a million emotions. Most of all, a strong feeling of fate, of contentment and love, a sense that this is exactly where I was supposed to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and reviewing! I'm updating as soon as I can, which is as close to daily as I can manage. Also, disclaimer, I have zero (0) experience with babies so all the Henry stuff you're getting is straight from the internet.   
> And, of course, I'm taking extreme liberties with wills and social services and legal systems. Also, if anyone has anything they'd like to see in the story, let me know! I know where it's going from here for at least several more chapters, so I've got room to play with!


	3. Chapter 3

Soon, too soon in my opinion, he released me, and we made our way back to the living room, Mulder clutching a baby monitor in his hand. He flopped onto the couch and let out a world-weary sigh, and I joined him. 

We needed some silence, then, I think. To process a little. But I couldn't keep my questions away forever. I started broad. "What are you going to do, Mulder?"

Mulder let out a long sigh and lolled his head toward me, smiling a lazily. He put his hand out on his thigh palm up, and I easily took it in mine. Small comforts. 

"I-God, Scully. I barely know, but my brain hasn't shut off since Monday. I don't think it ever will," he sighed. "I mean, I never really thought I'd get to be a parent, a father, and even then, not alone."

Me too, Mulder, I wanted to say. I always thought I'd have you by my side, that we would start a family together.

"Well," he continued, filling the silence with his soft voice. "He at least has three really weird uncles, god help him, and you, of course." 

That made me smile and I squeezed his hand. "He's got me too, you're right. And so do you, Mulder. Don't forget that. I'll always be here, just give me a call."

Minutes passed in comfortable quietness after that, both of us doing our fair share of thinking, up until the doorbell rang. Mulder heaved himself off the couch with a groan, only letting go of my hand at the last second. "I ordered pizza ahead earlier. Hope you're in the mood for pepperoni."

We ate quietly as well, only saying a few inconsequential things here and there. I was ravenous, the ball of anxiety in the pit of my stomach slowly unfurling. No danger here, just a complete and utter shift in our lives. I caught him up on what happened at work this week, which was nothing, and he told me about all the paperwork and the short hearing he had to attend a few days ago. 

Just a few days had turned his life upside down, and shoved mine almost forcefully away. I could feel the tumult of my emotions start to rise, the unfurling of worry morphing into something more volatile, but I couldn't allow myself to break in front of Mulder. I had to be his rock right now, at least tonight. 

Mulder's week was truly catching up to him and he looked more exhausted with every passing minute. As soon as the pizza was done I got up to leave. 

"Mulder," I started, "you need to rest. The whole 'sleep when the baby sleeps' saying is good advice."

I could tell he didn't want me to leave so quickly, wanted to talk more things through, but exhaustion won out. We can't solve everything right now, neither of us was up for it. He walked me to the door where I put on my gun and jacket. 

"Scully," he stopped me. "Will you come back tomorrow? Maybe help me unpack some of this stuff-plus we could talk about what to do with work and everything."

"Sure Mulder," I squeezed his arm briefly, transferring a little energy into his weary frame. "I'll see you then."

I was only halfway home when it hit me, fully, and with nothing more than a gasp the tears started flowing. Dammit! I hit the steering wheel in frustration. Dammit, dammit, dammit! 

I don't remember driving the rest of the way home, just stumbling into my dark apartment.

I grabbed a half-empty bottle of wine and curled up on the couch, my self-pity party already in full swing. 

Just, dammit it all. Everything swelled up and I couldn't fight the flood of emotion any longer. Frustrated, hot tears ran down my face and made the world go blurry. 

The future I finally allowed myself to hope for is, just, gone. Poof, into thin air. Just as I let myself believe that everything could be so easy, so simple and perfect. That soon I could be dating Mulder, kissing Mulder, getting married and maybe trying to start a family with him-that all my wildest dreams could come true. 

He has a family now. My perfect vision for the future was suddenly right in front of me, Mulder and a child and a small but lovely home, and here I was, cut off before I even had a chance to ask for it. 

What, so I'll be there for them? What the hell did that even mean? The boring aunt to the Gunmen's insane uncles. Showing up to babysit and help with homework, getting too attached to a life and a child I so desperately craved, but always leaving to come back to my apartment, alone, empty as I am. 

Just. Fuck. 

I have no right to be angry. I have no claim to him, just several years of friendship, of partnership. I suddenly hated myself a little, for getting my hopes up. And for being angry at a child, for god's sake it wasn't Henry's fault! It wasn't anyone's fault, not even Mulder's for being an idiot and having a drunken fuck one night. 

That didn't make me feel any better though. 

Dark, empty apartment, empty wine bottle, empty me. Literally, I was empty, and I'd never feel full, not with what I really wanted. 

What right did I have to dream of a family, a family with Mulder, when I couldn't even have a child myself? I was sterile. In the line of duty, in the pursuit of the truth, my possible future was forcibly taken from me-the only child that was biologically a part of me was dead and I didn't even get a chance to be her mother-

I let the tears flow. I cried. I cried for Emily, for me, for the life I had wanted so, so badly that I deluded myself into thinking I had even a chance to see it. 

Ah, just. Dammit. 

I curled up on the couch, too drained to function past dragging a blanket down over me and passing out.

\- - - - 

Morning. Morning with its cruel rays of sunlight hitting me right in the face. Ugh.

My little depression fest last night did nothing to help the hangover of emotions and literal hangover I experienced in the morning. I felt drained, from the crying marathon and the emotions that swirled in my gut all night. I felt like shit. As much as I regretted falling apart last night, I knew deep down that I needed it.

I did the basics to recover, to feel human again. Water. Toast. And, blessedly, a warm bath that restored me officially to the rank of humanity. The warm steam and soothing lavender let me think a little more rationally than I did several hours ago. 

Okay. Mulder had a kid, had moved into a house, and had every intention of never going out in the field again. 

Where the hell did that leave me?

I tamped down the 'lonely and miserable forever' voice in the back of my head and took a deep breath. 

I'd be left on the files, assigned a new partner. Did I even want to continue chasing down monsters without Mulder? For so long it was in this pursuit of uncovering something bigger than the two of us, to reveal the truth, but after it had been laid bare before us and destroyed, I don't know if I would continue without him by my side. 

I've fought the good fight, and suffered greatly for it. Maybe it was time to switch gears-go back to teaching at Quantico or maybe try to find my way back into medicine. I really needed to see what Mulder's plans were before I made any life-changing decisions. I snorted-not that he had talked with me about his this week. 

I pushed the thought out of my head as I got dressed in casual clothes. Helping Mulder unpack his belongings in a house that wasn't also mine was not on my list of fun activities, but we had a lot to talk about. Besides, who am I kidding, how could I resist going to him and his son?

I picked up coffee on the way. It was just after 11 in the morning when I got to his house, for the first time mourning the loss of his old apartment. I'll miss that place, small and dusty as it was. We shared a lot of tense and happy moments there, I thought, ringing the doorbell. I'd have to get the key to this new place soon, if he wanted me to have it.

Mulder opened the door with the baby in his arms which still caused me to pause, struck out of my musings. Henry was screaming, seemingly just mad at the world, leaving no room for conversation as he let me in. 

He was bucking in Mulder's grip, cries never ceasing, kicking and flailing his arms. 

"He's been like this for hours!" said Mulder loudly over his cries, trying to rock his son soothingly. "It's worse when I put him down!"

I mentally went through my small medical knowledge of infant development, plus my limited experience with Matthew and some cousins, and guessed he was teething. He must be close to unveiling a couple of teeth if he was this upset, the poor thing. 

I held up a finger and went to Henry's room. Mulder followed, and the piercing screams echoed in the smaller space. I noticed a small toy box with a few things in it and-yes! A teething ring. 

"He didn't want to play either, Scully-"

I gestured to the crib and Mulder set Henry down. I put my hand on Henry's belly to stop him from squirming a little, and then placed the teething ring into his mouth. His little hands reached up and grabbed either side and tugged at it, but after a moment or two he seemed to get the idea and started chewing on it and I leave him to it. 

Mulder, amazed, turns to me. "Scully, how," he shook his head. 

I opened my mouth to explain but didn't get a chance, because suddenly, Mulder grabbed my face with both of his hands and kissed me, smack on the mouth. 

Just as quickly as it happened it stopped and he moved away. "God, you're amazing, thank you," he stretched out his arms and shook them a little. "I think I need to sit down." He staggered out of the room. 

I was reeling. Mulder just kissed me. Sure, it was just a second, not even longer than our post-zombies kiss from years ago. But it was real, and there was passion and happiness behind it. Real enough that I could still feel his plump lower lip raking over my own…

I shook it off, uncurling my hand where it had gripped the edge of the crib. Now wasn't the time to go waxing poetic about a manic thank-you kiss from a tired Mulder. 

Henry beside me gave a little noise, finally calming down from the crying fit he'd been in. He was running a slight fever from what I could tell with the back of my hand, but that was normal too. It was likely that he'd drift off soon, so I let him be. I took the baby monitor with me.

Mulder wasn't difficult to track down. He was lying face down on his bed, oblivious to the world and passed out from whatever hell Henry had put him through the last few hours. I let him be as well, the sleepy boys. Maybe they need my help more than I originally assumed. 

I smiled at the thought.

With nothing better to do, I went back into the living room and looked around, just now noticing that Mulder's fish had made the pilgrimage from his apartment and were swimming quite happily in the corner. 

Boxes, full of books and movies and god knows what, were scattered all over. A few empty bookshelves were all that lined the wall, no pictures hung up. Those were leaning on the walls as well, with a few posters rolled up among them. A rug was rolled up in a corner, and two lamps were on the floor with their shades nowhere to be seen.

I moved into the kitchen, grabbing my coffee as I went, and found it in a similar state. We had eaten off of the paper plates last night because everything was still in boxes. This, at least, I could help with.

I opened one box after the other, organizing things on the small island, noticing they were all professionally packed. I piled up the bubble wrap and broke down the cardboard all to be recycled as I put together his kitchen. 

It didn't take very long. Mulder didn't own more than one pan, and it was rusty at that. Half of his dishes were chipped, and his dry foods didn't amount to more than some easy mac, soup, and a few cans of beans. 

I was unsurprised, but I knew that a massive shopping trip was looming close. I found an old notepad and started writing a list of everything he was going to need to transition from bachelor pad into grown-up family home.

Hoo boy. Mulder definitely needed my help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a lot of emotions, a little healing, a screaming baby.  
> please let me know how I'm doing, and what you'd like to see in the coming chapters!


	4. Chapter 4

A few hours passed and I worked my way from the kitchen into the living room. Mulder's book collection was much more complex and numerous than I had originally thought. He had a wide array of UFO material, of course, and what looked like a complete collection of books and pamphlets written about every cryptid known or thought up. He also had a surprising number of classics, and a less surprising mound of heavy psychology textbooks and journals. 

Organizing the books had been time-consuming, but I was almost through when Mulder managed to wake up and stumble into the living room. 

"Hey there sleepyhead," I said, straining to balance on my toes to arrange the half-dozen books he had on Sasquatch lore above my head. 

Mulder moved in behind me, flush against my back and a hand on my hip, and helped push the books all the way on the shelf. I managed to hide my full body shudder as he moved away by turning at the same time, still feeling the sleepy-hot imprint of his hand on my hip.

Sleepy Mulder looked younger, like a puppy, and my heart stuttered at the look he was giving me. He was smiling sheepishly, his mouth half-crooked and his face still lined with sheet imprints. 

"Hey, sorry to pass out on you there. This is great though, thanks," he gestured at the books behind me. "I owe you...several. Has Henry been asleep this whole time?"

"He's been a little grumbly for about 15 minutes over the monitor," I said. "I was about to go check on him."

"Fantastic. I'll go make him a bottle, he'll be hungry. And," he looked at his watch, "well it's a little pass lunch time but I can make you something to eat?" 

"Sure. You don't have much in the way of grown-up food, though," I said as he walked to the kitchen. 

"Scully! You did this too! You're perfect, thank you," he yelled. 

I smiled at the sentiment and went to work on finishing putting the last piles of books on the shelves. Spending the afternoon in the presence of Mulder and mini-Mulder made me outrageously happy in a way I probably didn't deserve, but I shook that thought off, determined to enjoy any time I got to spend with them.

I headed in to get Henry, assuming Mulder wouldn't mind the extra hand. Henry was awake, seemingly content to stare at the planetary mobile moving slowly above him. As soon as I leaned over the railing his little face lit up and he squealed in excitement, moving his little arms and legs all over in anticipation of hanging out with another human. 

Henry was an adorable baby. His light brown hair was thick and soft, and his bright eyes and too big nose, Mulder was right on that one, made him the perfect little image of a cute kid to be. I picked him up and rocked him side to side, cooing at his little squeals and gently brushing the hair out of his face. 

I couldn't help but smile at him, the picture of a happy baby, as I walked in to the kitchen to meet Mulder again. 

"Bottle's ready," he said from the counter where he was still making our lunch. 

Henry was becoming a little heavy as I fed him, so I sat down in Mulder's single chair and tiny table as he worked on his first afternoon meal.

Mulder turned from the counter with his finished product and, for a moment, paused. Out of the corner of my eye I could see him looking at me holding Henry, and I could only wonder at what he was thinking about the picture we made. It felt almost overwhelmingly domestic.

He sat a plate down in front of me, he had managed to make sandwiches, and perched on the other side of the table. 

"I need more chairs," he said through a mouthful of sandwich. 

"You need a lot of things, Mulder," I said. "I started a list."

Mulder nodded through inhaling his sandwich. I rolled my eyes a little and adjusted Henry when he finished the bottle. Again, Mulder moved to help me silently, suddenly appearing over my shoulder and placing a kitchen towel over my shoulder for potential spit up just as I was moving Henry to burp him. Perfect tandem, like we'd been practicing for years. 

We technically had-Mulder and I had watched each other's backs and anticipated each other's needs in the field and office constantly since we started working together. A part of me broke at the thought that our field world was all in the past, that we'd never work together like that again. 

"I thought it'd be nice to take him on a walk in a bit," said Mulder. "I assembled the new stroller I got before he woke up this morning. Want to follow us around the block?" 

I transferred Henry from my lap to Mulder so I could eat. "That sounds nice. Plus, we can talk about what you want to do with the x files, and a walk will help wear him out because, hate to break it to you, you have no food and you need a lot more for this kitchen than one pan and a broken spatula." I paused to take a bite, watching Mulder sway with his son in front of me. A daydream, a vision, a great love. "I'd be happy to take you both shopping this afternoon, you're in desperate need."

Mulder nodded. "I'll go get him ready," he said, and walked off. 

Minutes later we were heading out the door. It was a cloudy but mild afternoon, not cold enough for Henry to be completely covered in the stroller. Mulder and I were both amused at the faces Henry made, bouncing in his seat when he saw something new and squealing in delight when a group of birds startled when we walked past them. 

Soon, Mulder let out in a breath and began talking about what was needed. "About work-I love my son, I want what is best for him, and I believe that calls for a dramatic overhaul of my current lifestyle. No more being in the field, not when it means risking Henry ending up an orphan, or being used as a pawn against me. I would never forgive myself."

"Like I said the other day, Henry is everything," I replied. "He's number one in your life and will be from now on out. It's not insane to step back from constant danger to raise your son. Your circumstances were just a little more… sudden than most."

He smiled at that, shaking his head a little at the thought. 

"I know. I feel like I've stepped into another life, someone else's life, and now I'm an insta-dad. I keep coming back into reality and just thinking wow, I'm responsible for this. I made a human, I'm his father for the rest of my life, it's not just going to go away" he said with reverence.

A gust of wind made my hair fly into my face, giving me ample reason to wipe at my eyes, trying but failing to not think of Emily. 

Mulder continued without noticing my slip. "I'm out of family, Scully, not that they'd be any help anyway. It's just me. And I have to be here for him. I'm just sorry, so sorry, that I'm doing this to you. Leaving you. I know that this impacts your career and your work situation but-"

I stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Hey. I understand-there's no part of me that's upset at you for taking care of your kid, alright?" I made sure to make eye contact with him to make sure he understood. He nodded. "Besides, you're not out of family, you've got an entire Scully clan to back you up if you need it." I said the last part to lighten the mood, but I meant every word.  
He chuckled. "Maybe not Bill," he joked, starting our walk again. 

I laughed too. "Okay, maybe not Bill, but I mean it, Mulder. I'm not going anywhere just because we won't be working together anymore."

Mulder took a moment to let that thought absorb, and then we began talking about his plans for the department moving forward. Since Skinner was still our supervisor, and Mulder basically created and ran the x files since the beginning, we figured that we had a good chance to shape the files into something a little more stable for the future. The FBI looked at us a little more legitimately since last year, and because of the myriad of unsolvable cases we had solved over the years. 

Mulder wanted to expand the department. We would bring in a few more people, at least two more agents. His ideal files would have him consulting on the side, safely from home, and I quickly agreed with that idea. He also thought he might try teaching again, somewhere a little further down the road. 

He informed me that he had already taken at least the next month off with his saved vacation days, and Skinner had approved after he explained the extenuating circumstances. 

"I can only imagine the look on Skinner's face when you told him you were a father!" I laughed.

"My only regret is that I wasn't there in person," he returned. 

"Well, I've got the monthly meeting with him tomorrow, so I'll try to relay his shock if I can. I'll bring up what we talked about here and see if he'd like us to make up a formal plan, and we can go from there."

We continued chatting, and it was a pleasant walk. Mulder and I rarely had a chance to just be, we were always running off or trying to track down leads. I could get used to this new, peaceful space we could now share with each other much too easily. Soon, this weekend would be over and I would be at work, away from Mulder, at my own apartment each night. 

We rounded the corner and got back inside Mulder's house to regroup a moment-I grabbed the list for the store and Mulder got his car keys. Henry was, thankfully, sleepy enough to be compliant and not grouchy, and we managed to get him strapped in to Mulder's car without a problem. 

With some amusement, I noticed that Mulder drove a lot more cautiously with Henry in the car now, but we made it to the store in no time. I could feel that my much earlier coffee was quickly wearing off, no doubt amplified by my activities last night, and I was almost bleary-eyed in following Mulder around the store, pointing to things we needed. This morning seemed like it started weeks ago.

We were interrupted in our efficient shopping when an older woman stopped Mulder with a hand. She was shorter than even I, and pushing around a grocery cart that seemed to be the only thing holding her upright.

"Excuse me, dear," she said, and I grinned at anyone calling Mulder that, "would you mind and reach up to the top shelf there and grab that box of rice?"

Mulder did as he was asked and I continued to soak up the endearing scene it made. I felt an urge to give Mulder a merit badge as he made polite small talk with the woman. 

"Thank you, dear, you are very kind. And what a beautiful family you have," she said, making eye contact with me on her compliment. 

I blushed at family, but just nodded a thanks as the woman toddled away.

"Family, yeah?" remarked Mulder. "I like the sound of that." He turned to Henry. "You like that, little guy? We're your family." 

My blush deepened and I couldn't stop the smile that lit up my face if I attempted, and I tried to hide my face in the list I was still holding. My brain flashed warning signals-don't get attached, Scully-but my heart warmed my whole chest at the thought of us making a proper family. 

Brought back down to earth, I caught up with Mulder and we went down the last few aisles of the store. 

Mulder turned back to me as I was crossing things off the list. "What are you thinking for dinner, Scully? I can make a mean pasta."

"Boiling water is your specialty," I replied. "Good to know."

"Hey, I was a bachelor until a week ago, I think I'm doing okay here, considering."

We stocked up on pasta, sauce, and wine, always good to have those staples on hand anyway, and moved through the tedious checkout line with as much quiet as we could manage with Henry now napping peacefully in his carrier.

Almost as soon as we got back in the car, Henry began to fuss. No doubt he needed a diaper change and a bottle. I put my hand on his little leg behind me during the ride back, trying to soothe him through the short trip. 

Once we got back, I volunteered to change him and Mulder readily agreed. Truthfully, I just didn't think I could manage the thousand trips in with all of the groceries and staples we had just spent the last few hours picking up. I was quickly becoming exhausted, but I managed to make faces and entertain little Henry through his diaper change and in to making his bottle. I settled on the couch, half-asleep, as I fed him and while Mulder was putting away everything. 

Soon, too soon, the bottle was empty, Henry was burped, and I had a very awake and bored baby in my lap that I had to entertain once more. We bounced, we played with a bright orange toy octopus he seemed to favor. Finally, I decided he needed some tummy time on his play mat and got down on the floor with him. 

Babies were exhausting. So was the combination of hangovers, too-short sleeps, physical labor, walks, huge shopping expeditions, and restraining myself from forcibly moving in and becoming a permanent fixture in this dream-land family. This entire day was a domestic dream that I was living. It all seemed so easy and right, to be a part of this little family of Mulder and Henry, and I was loathe to leave and return to my apartment. 

I guess I was daydreaming, completely out of my head while lying on the floor and playing with Mulder's child, because suddenly dinner was ready. 

I lurched slowly to my feet, groaning at the pops in my needs and hips from my position on the floor. I looked around and Mulder was setting the table, another novel view. I picked up Henry with a barely-concealed groan and put him in his room, washing up on the way back. 

"Thanks, Mulder. I was going to help but I guess I got a little comfortable," I said. He had made spaghetti and garlic bread, and had already poured me a glass of wine and water. Bless him. 

He let me take the chair and he sat on the box with his new chair in it. I'd call it lazy, but I could tell that he was just as tired as I was. Who knew a day like this could take it out of both of us so hard. 

The pasta was good, and the wine even better, both working to relieve my sore muscles from the day's activities. During dinner we ironed out a few more details about our plans for the department, and Mulder even had a few ideas about who to bring in. 

We finished our wine on the couch, looking around at the boxes still to be unpacked, at the piles of wrapping to be recycled. 

"You still need a whole bedroom set," I sighed, "for your third bedroom. Unless you want that to be an office?"

"That's what I was thinking. Except my files are somewhere yet to be found, and my desk is currently on its side at the end of the hall, and moving it involves free time and work, so we'll see what happens." 

I agreed, both of us sinking more and more into the couch as we contemplated what else he needed to fill out his new home. I was thankful it was Saturday, and I could have Sunday to recover before work. I also thought I should call a cab, I wouldn't want to end this day falling asleep behind the wheel.

The last sensation I had that night was of warmth as a blanket was pulled over me, and the white-hot, delicate pressure of Mulder's lips on my cheek.


	5. Chapter 5

My face was stuck to the leather with my own drool. My first thought, after peeling my skin off the couch was gross, and then I wondered where the hell I was. It was dark, I was warm and comfortable, and the couch smelled like Mulder and wine, or maybe it was my mouth that smelled like wine. Ugh. 

My temporary anxiety was immediately put to rest when I heard the piercing cry only a baby could make at 4am. 

I swung my body off the couch and went to see to Henry, and probably to see Mulder on the way, but once I got into Henry's room it was still dark. I turned on the low light and went over-his diaper wasn't wet when I picked him up and he wasn't due to be fed for another few hours either. He was probably just going through another wave of bad teething and, sure enough, the ring worked again. I rocked him back and forth for a good ten minutes as he calmed and was about to sit down in the chair with him when he relaxed enough to lay back in his crib. 

I left him there, chewing happily on his ring once more, and went to see where Mulder was since he didn't wake up. 

I entered his dark bedroom, only lit form the streetlights outside, completely unaccustomed to see him sleeping in a bed instead of his couch. I guess I took that option away from him tonight. 

Oops. 

He moved slightly, half under the sheet, and I thought he was waking up until he moaned. It wasn't a good moan, either, as much as I secretly wanted. He was having a nightmare. 

He moved again, this time thrashing his head. I could barely make out what he was mumbling.

"No, no no no no no no no," he repeated. "No! Run! Run Sc-" 

My heart broke for him. Whatever scenario he was trapped in was likely a repeat from our past, and our brains had a nearly unlimited supply of real-life terror that only served as nightmare fodder. 

Mulder kept moving, now starting to swing his arms back and forth. I was afraid he'd start screaming, or hurt himself, so I decided on waking him instead. 

"Mulder," I said, still far enough away that he would get a punch in on me. A little louder, "Mulder! It's me! Wake up, Mulder, it's just a dream, you're safe, I'm safe, you're home, it's okay!"

He didn't seem to hear me, too trapped in his own head with whatever was happening, and apparently it involved me because he started repeating "Run, Scully!" with increasing volume. 

Damn the swinging arms-I sat next to him on the bed put my hands on his face, not holding him down but trying to get him to feel that there was someone else there with him. 

"Mulder!" I tried again. "Mulder, hey, it's me! Wake up, Mulder!"

His eyes flashed open wide and unseeing, and for a moment he was completely still except for his heaving breaths. I ran my fingers through his hair, trying to calm him down and bring him back to the present, all the while murmuring reassurances that we were safe. 

Suddenly he focused on me and I had to rear back in order to avoid a head-butt. I shouldn't have worried because instead he wrapped himself around me.

"Scully, oh god, oh god you're okay, you're not dead, I didn't shoot you, Scully Scully Scully," he rambled in a rush, his face buried in my hair. 

I held him as well, running my hands up and down his back. "Shhh, it's okay, I'm okay."  
His breathing regulated and he relaxed his grip a little more. 

"Shit," he said, still quiet in the early hour. "I'm sorry, did I wake you? That was- Thank you."

I hugged him a little tighter, knowing all too well what kind of nightmares evolved from our jobs. 

"It's okay," I said, just as softly. "Henry woke me up. I just came to see where you were." We were still embracing, and it was four am so I didn't have the will to extricate myself from his arms, not after the nightmare he just suffered. 

"He's okay?"

"Teething, all better now."

We were quiet for a moment, and he didn't seem to want to let go either. I blame the early morning and wine-I needed to cool it with that substance after the last few days-for taking comfort in our embrace. I breathed him in, felt the corded muscles in his back. 

"Are you okay now?" I asked into his shoulder. "Do you want to tell me about it?

He sighed with his whole body, leaning into me more heavily. I gladly took his weight. 

"It was just the usual rotation of horror. This time it was Pusher. He made me shoot you. It was…vivid."

I tightened my arms briefly. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, thanks for waking me up, anyway," he said. 

"Well," I replied, "if it makes you feel any better, I woke up in a puddle of my own drool."

He chuckled at that and the mood lifted out of tense to something more comfortable. Mulder straightened his back and loosened his embrace to look me in the eye. 

"Thanks for that too," he said. He lifted one hand and brushed back the hair that had fallen into my face in the excitement, his hand coming to rest on my shoulders. "And for Henry, I should've woken up, but-" he shook his head. 

"I know." 

I felt something release in him, my arms still around his sides, and then he started talking.

"A huge part of me wishes that you didn't have to leave and you could just stay with us. God knows I could use the help, since apparently I'm worthless to him at night and barely know how to take care of a baby anyway, despite everything I've read in those parenting books, and you wouldn't believe the crazy shit they say in the chatrooms online, Scully."

I tried to interrupt him but he barreled on.

"Seriously, Scully. If things had gone differently, who knows what we-what I'm trying to say, I just. I," he sighed and leaned his forehead against mine, giving up on his long, rambling speech. "I feel helpless."

"You're not helpless, Mulder. You're learning. And I am here to help you, okay? I meant it, whenever you need me just call."

I could tell he wasn't convinced, and no chat at four am could convince him otherwise. I fell back on our usual way to comfort one another in times of distress, by tilting his head down and kissing him long and firm on his forehead. 

A moment passed, and I spoke quietly, "You should go back to sleep, it's early still."

"Nah," he breathed. "I don't think I can anyway."

"Yeah, me either." 

He smiled. "Alright, coffee is in order, my treat."

We left the bed and I waited for coffee on the couch, still barely thinking straight at the warm morning and odd sleep I had on Mulder's couch. I didn't mean to sleep over. That was a little embarrassing, but I was so exhausted last night I'm surprised I made it through dinner. 

But now, at almost five am on Sunday, I felt rumpled and sour. My hair was in desperate need of a wash, and my clothes were stretched out and verging on uncomfortable.

Mulder came back in with two cups of coffee and I gratefully accepted mine as he sat down next to me. 

"Sorry for falling asleep here last night. I guess I was a more tired than I thought."

He shrugged it off. "It's all good, plus you saved me with Henry this morning so you earned your keep," he joked. "Don't I owe you a few by now anyway?"

"You did say something about that yesterday after I put away your dishes, and organized your books, and took care of your son, and helped with the shopping-"

"Okay, okay! I get it! I'm your bitch for the foreseeable future, I promise. Just let me know when I'm needed."

"Well the coffee is a good start, and maybe I can upgrade to a bed the next time I sleep over."

"Hey, you can sleep in my bed any one you want," he flirted. 

Damn him, I was trying to be innocent, but I decided to play along for a moment. "We'll see about that, Mulder, when I-oh dammit!"

Mulder started at my sudden remark. "What is it?"

"I completely forgot-I have breakfast scheduled with my mother today in," I looked at the clock propped up on the bookshelf, "shit. Two hours. Across town." I stood up. "I've got to get home and get ready." Quickly, I downed the rest of my coffee and dropped off the mug in the kitchen in a sudden burst of adrenaline, the kind you only get when your mother is involved with something you forget. 

"Whoa, calm down there Rambo, you're not awake enough to drive," he said following me into the kitchen.

"I'm fine Mulder, I've driven across country on a lot less energy than this." I was feeling better with the coffee now, and the sun was beginning to rise anyway. "I don't want to be late, we don't get to do this enough as it is. Besides, I don't exactly want to explain that you're the reason I was late either," I added distractedly.

I almost missed the look of hurt on his face, but I didn't let it go. "Hey," I caught his eye, pausing for a second. "I don't mean it like that. She'll just have…invasive questions."

He nodded in acknowledgement and I brushed passed him and went in search of my keys, jacket, and purse, which were all somehow in different areas of his house, Mulder following me at every turn for lack of something better to do, I guess. 

"Ok, just be safe and let me know you get home okay," he said. 

I almost retorted something sarcastic, but instantly remembered his nightmare. He was probably still a little shaken. Instead, I nodded and, having found all of my things, went to the door. 

"I didn't give Henry a bottle earlier so he'll be hungry soon," I said. 

Mulder followed me and reached around to open the door for me. I was flying out of there without stopping, but he grabbed my arm anyway. 

"Seriously, Scully, be careful."

"I will, don't worry." 

Quickly I lifted myself up on tiptoe and gave him a kiss on the cheek, catching the corner of his mouth on the way, then turned around to head to my car. 

A block away, I realized what I had done and a flush covered my whole body. 

Oh, god, how embarrassing. I hope he didn't think anything of it, or think I was insane. I just pulled the ultimate housewife-leaving-for-work move on him and ran out the door like I was on fire. Jesus. Maybe I should've stayed for another cup of coffee after all. 

At least I didn't kiss him full on the lips or anything. Okay, part of me wished I did, wished that I had the privilege of doing so every day, but that was for another time. 

I was back home in no time, no one was on the roads this early on a Sunday. My apartment was remarkably cold, dark. It felt like coming home after a long case to the peopleless quiet, but I didn't feel the sense of relief I usually did. 

I sent Mulder a quick text telling him I got home okay, feeling like a blushing girl in constant contact with her boyfriend after I hit send. 

Under the hot spray of the shower, my brain kicked into gear and started yelling at me. Where the hell was the woman who, just a few days ago, pledged to do something about her feelings!? 

Instead, she was "accidentally" sleeping over and kissing his face and acting like the romantic partner to him that she still just hoped to be. I could tell that these little accidents of mine were not going to stop-I couldn't drag myself away from spending as much time as possible with Mulder and his son. They were addictive. 

Plus, like I said, they needed my help. 

Right? 

Or was that kind of sexist to think so? I didn't feel like it was. Mulder seemed like he needed me to help out yesterday, and earlier this morning. Maybe it would all just work out?

That's such a coward's way out. I could hear Missy scolding me from the grave-come on Dana! Make your move!

I slumped under the spray, delaying leaving the safe confines of my shower for a little longer. If only it was so simple, to just make a move. Henry, well, he complicated everything. Mulder was a father now, we wouldn't have the same kind of chance, there was too much risk… Right?

I gave up trying to figure out my life and mechanically got ready to meet Mom. We hadn't seen each other in over a month because of work, and she'd been talking about this breakfast for ages now and how she was happy to fit it in between early mass and the activities she was involved in with the church.

I drove more carefully to breakfast than I had on the way home, finding the quaint little breakfast place with ease. We'd met here before several times, and of course she was there before me waiting at our usual table. 

"Mom, hi," I greeted. 

"Dana! How have you been, dear?"

My reply was cut off quickly as our usual waiter approached. We ordered our usual, and conversation continued. 

"Fine, mom. Just busy with work, the usual." I was unsure how to bring up the new development in my, in Mulder's life. 

Mom rattled on about church events and her book club's latest book and how she and some friends organized a baking fundraiser for the local community center. I told her about the lighter aspects of our recent cases, how the plants she got me were doing, and what I had heard from an aunt a few weeks ago. 

"Oh, yes! Speaking of distant family, Charlie's coming to visit!"

Charlie? I hadn't seen my baby brother in, what, six years? He's been living in London for over a decade now, and last I heard he was having some success in the art world after all.

"That's fantastic! When is he flying in?"

"He'll be here the week of Thanksgiving, just over a month! I'm so excited to see him, it's been far too long."

"Does Bill know yet?" I asked. 

"Yes, he and Tara and the kids are going to try to make it here too, at least for the holiday. He's got this Thanksgiving off this year, you know."

Wow, this was going to be a genuine family reunion. At least of the family I had left. There had been so much loss over the years, I wondered if the dinner table will feel empty even with all of us there again. 

"Dana?"

I looked up, Mom had been trying to get my attention for a minute. "Sorry, must've spaced out."

"That's alright. You look tired though, you need to try and get more sleep on the weekends, Dana, for your own health," she said. 

Nothing I haven't heard before, but I still flushed a little at where I was sleeping last night.   
"Anyway," she continued, "I asked are you planning on bringing anyone? Charlie is going to bring Luke! We finally get to meet him, I'm so excited."

"Oh, um, I don't know," I replied. "I might ask Mulder if he wants to come. Um, well. Now is as good a time as any to tell you the latest news."

"What news, dear? Is Fox okay?" she looked concerned. 

"Yes! He's doing quite well, actually. Um, well, he's a father." I could tell mom was jumping to conclusions when she glanced down at my stomach and I half rolled my eyes, beating her to the punch and managing not to be sad at the thought that it would never happen to me. Mom must still have hope. "He has a son that he just found out about. It's a complicated, long story, but there was a…short relationship, and the woman died a few weeks ago, and he was informed and got custody just a week ago. His son, Henry, is just over six months old."

She was visibly shocked at the idea, and I had no idea how she would react. I had known her to say some not entirely forgiving things about unwed parents in the past, and I was a little afraid she'd go down that road. 

"Oh, poor Fox! He must be completely overwhelmed!" she exclaimed. "That's tragic, really, and what a good man Fox is for stepping up to the plate. I always knew he had it in him."

This was a slight surprise. I knew my mom had a soft spot for Mulder but this is more than I expected. "Yes, he's adjusting pretty well. We're still figuring out how exactly it affects work, but he's pretty much stepping down from the bureau."

"I never thought I'd see the day," she commented. "But he must be so happy, being a father, despite the…unique circumstances."

I finished my bowl of yogurt while Mom looked thoughtful for a moment. 

"Dana, does Fox have any family left? Anyone to help him out?"

I was unexpectedly sad for him when I answered in the negative. "Just me, mom. I've been over there this weekend helping him get his new house organized and stocked."

"Of course you have," she smiled. "Well, you let him know as soon as you can that if he needs anything, and I mean anything! You let him know that I will be there faster than he can say please. In fact, I'll give him a call myself."

"I can tell him Mom," I said as she was getting worked up. "He'll be really happy to hear it."

"I bet he will, poor boy. Becoming a father like that, what a shock. And for you too!"

"It's been an interesting weekend, that's for sure," I said. 

She looked at me the way she usually does, like she knows more than I do about something, about myself. 

"I'm sure he's happy to have you too, Dana."

I didn't know quite what to say to that and was pleased when the waiter came with the check. 

I walked Mom to her car and before I turned to head to mine she took my arm to stop me. 

"Dana," she said seriously but kindly. "You better tell Fox how you feel, and soon. You don't want this to be another missed opportunity that makes you both drift apart again. You know I want to see you both happy, and if I get another grandchild out of it then so be it."

Before I could reply she winked and was in her car with the door shut. Not that I knew what I would say in reply to something like that, anyway. 

Instead, I just headed back home. Deep down, I knew she was right-that I was right a few days ago. It was time, time to try. Soon, I thought. 

We owed it to ourselves to at least try.


	6. Chapter 6

Soon was a flexible term, I thought to myself. I was home again, before noon on a Sunday. I was tempted to go back to Mulder's house but I wouldn't know what to say to him after my conversation at lunch.

Instead, I came home and changed into some comfortable sweats and steered clear of any wine I may have. I needed a break from that to do some critical thinking about what Mom said.

She was right, more right than she knew, and I was still a little surprised at her bluntness. I could see it a little from her viewpoint though. She'd seen us both go through hell, multiple times-near death, wounded, worried, terrified and traumatized-and saw how we leaned on each other to recover. 

It was nice to have an outsider's opinion on it though, I suppose. It helped that she cares for Mulder too, probably like a son over the years he has saved me and what remains of my family over and over.

Okay. It was time. But how? I figured that Mulder wasn't going to make a move any time soon, he was a little preoccupied. But, then again, after what he said to me this morning about never wanting me to leave… That just reaffirmed my belief in his feelings for me, a belief built up over years of near-misses and catastrophes. 

Every time I thought about that, about him reciprocating, I had to push down years of pent up self-doubt. I mean, just based on his previous interests I didn't even meet the height requirement for being attractive to him. 

Really, though? We've been in a relationship since day one. As soon as we placed trust in each other, we were in it for the long hall. It's just been like marriage, a long commitment, till death do us part, just without the usual benefits. 

Oh, but now, now I wanted the benefits. I wanted to hold him, to kiss him, to make love to him. I want to live with him and his child, love his child, I want to fight over ordering too much pizza and how he leaves his socks lying around. I want to adopt a dog with him. I want to actually marry him.

I think he wants it too, at least some of it. Maybe-maybe he'll want the whole package, now, without the files to drag us everywhere. 

I knew before that I cannot imagine my life without him playing a significant role, and I cannot imagine him thinking different. The years we have been together, side by side, back to back, have strengthened my trust and love for him that I cannot in good conscious be scared to tell him what I want when I know that he has wanted it in the past. 

It was time, but maybe not the best timing, not on a Sunday afternoon just a few days after the most life-changing news he had gotten since he was a child. 

I'd give myself one week, I decided. Less than a week-this Friday night. That would give us time to solidify our plans for the files and have the dust settle around Henry coming in to our lives. 

It felt silly, making these plans like they were a sure thing. Maybe they were, maybe not. All I knew is that I couldn't take it much longer or I was going to snap in front of him like a deranged sex-starved monster.

But how? I didn't know. It didn't seem right to just knock on the door and come at him tongue first. No, I needed to tell him my plans, my truth, and start on something honest and real.   
Just as I was about to start working on the preliminary plans for the department, my phone buzzed. Mulder.

I picked up the phone. "Yeah?"

"Hey Scully," he said. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Just getting ready for the meeting. Did you email me your notes yet?"

"Sent them this morning. Hey, um, weird thing," he replied. "Your mother called me just a few minutes ago."

Oh, god. What did she say? Nothing revealing, I hope. He continued. 

"She's very excited about meeting Henry, which is going to happen soon apparently, and invited us over for Thanksgiving, which," he said, "is in a month and a half? I also had to give her my new address."

Okay, that's nothing to freak out about. "She was very happy when I told her about Henry at breakfast today," I said. "She said something about feeling like she was becoming a grandmother again," I half laughed. 

I could hear Mulder smile over the phone. "Yeah, she also asked for his birthday and current clothing sizes. I'd be afraid that she was going to take him away from me if I didn't know she was just…like this to everyone." 

"Oh, Mulder, no she's not." I tried to explain. "My mother doesn't trust easily, especially when it's outside of the family. But after all these years, everything we've been through, she loves you like a son and she knows you're my family and cares about you. I meant it when I said you have the Scully clan to back you up." 

Mulder is family, has family. No holds barred honesty. Practice for Friday.

He was quiet for a moment. "That's ah," he cleared his throat. "That's nice to know."

"I mean it, Mulder. We're your family, Mom included," I said firmly. He should not be allowed to feel alone when he is not, and I was going to make it my mission for him to see that he belonged with us, with me, no matter what. "Did you accept for Thanksgiving?"

"Uh, yeah," he replied. "She kind of backed me into a corner on that one, not that I was really fighting a free home-cooked meal."

I smiled at the thought of Mulder finally meeting with my whole family for a happy occasion. 

"You'll finally get to meet Charlie, too. He's flying in from London with his boyfriend for that week."

"Oh, god, I don't know if I can handle another Scully brother. Will, um-"

"Yes, Bill is coming too. And don't worry about Charlie, he'll love you. He's about the polar opposite of Bill, and they don't quite get along either."

"Then I welcome my new ally," Mulder laughed. 

I was a little worried about Bill too, to be honest. He's never had anything good to say about Mulder and while I wasn't around sometimes when they interacted, or I was there but unconscious, I had heard it hadn't gone well. 

"Good," I said. "How's Henry?"

"He's sleeping. He was keeping me company while I organized the office most of the morning, and I think he was looking around for you for a while," he added.

My heart thudded at the sentiment. "I miss him too," I said softly. Mulder's child was in my heart forever, and I hoped to become a more permanent part of his life very soon. "You've got a great kid, Mulder."

"Are you coming over later?" he asked a little rushed. 

"No, not tonight," I said. "I really need to finish that proposal if Skinner is going to take us seriously tomorrow." In reality I could've gone over and written it with him, but I needed a little space. Just that the decision was now made to move forward and tell him how I feel, I didn't what to mess it up by moving at the speed of light and jumping him when he opened the door.

He sighed through the phone. "Damn," he joked, "I was hoping to shirk my parental duties and have you as a live-in help."

"In your dreams, Mulder," I replied, holding back the more sincere statement that it happened to be in my dreams. 

We continued chatting for a while, about nothing really. I told him I'd call him after the meeting on Monday. 

I released a sigh into my apartment, alone again. I wanted to be with Mulder right now, with Henry, spending the afternoon together and the night, and the next night and so on. Soon.   
Instead, I spent the rest of the afternoon finishing the preliminary projections for the presentation to Skinner. With luck, I'd also be working on it all week and putting plans into motion by the next. 

This was really happening. The x files as we knew it are over-Mulder and I were never going to be the same team we were. He'll consult on the files, maybe in other departments as well. He still thinks I'll stay with the files and be there, but I think it is time to move on too and I'll tell Skinner that tomorrow. Mulder will need to know soon, but I'm worried he'll take it the wrong way, but that'll be a problem for later.

I went to bed, sans wine like I promised myself, and thought about what my mom said again, how she said it. Soon. Not soon enough. 

 

I was actually early for the meeting with Skinner. In the past, we had been late to almost every one, or one of us present and trying to get the other here on time. Ok, usually it was me trying to drag Mulder's ass in, or scrambling to finish his half of the presentation, or trying to make his nonsense about whatever cryptid he was obsessed with acceptable to our bosses. 

Early was a change. 

Skinner eventually was ready for me and we went over the last fortnight of activities and cases. I caught him up on lingering details and provided some clarification on any, um, delicate details not in the official record. 

"Well, if that's all, then we're both off to an early lunch, Agent Scully," Skinner said, leaning back in his chair. "Unless you want to give me some details on Mulder's recent development?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about, sir, if you have the time." He nodded, and I handed him the packet we'd been working on this weekend. "This is a preliminary proposal for how we would like to develop the X Files Department when we are both gone."

"Gone, Scully?" He looked up at me from the report. "I thought at most, Agent Mulder would just take his vacation and-"

"It's going to be more permanent than that, sir. Mulder, well. He's decided that he cannot in good conscious remain an active field agent when he is a single parent to an infant. It's outlined in the proposal, sir, but he wishes to remain tied to the department as an outside consultant when needed."

Skinner took a moment to absorb that. "Never thought I'd see the day," he said partly to himself. "And you, Agent Scully? You said 'we' earlier."

"Yes, sir," I said, about to tell him what I hadn't yet told Mulder. "I believe that this change in the department marks a transition for me as well. I would like to, if all goes according to our proposal, work on the transition of the files to new teams and the expansion and then request to be transferred to a teaching position at Quantico. I would also be available to consult as a pathologist and agent to the files. Our main goal here is to ensure the survival of the x files, and hopefully its expansion into a more legitimate department."

Skinner looked thoughtful for a moment. I wanted to say more, suddenly nervous he'd think it was a preposterous idea and he'd recommend shutting it all down-no. Skinner's on our side, has been for years. Patience, Dana. 

"I'll look this over, Agent Scully," he said while lifting the report in the air. "I'm going to need more detailed plans and projections this week, especially if you plan on expanding. I think this has a real shot of working with the higher ups, especially since last year. As much as I hate to see you and Agent Mulder leaving the department, it will be good to have the files still open."

I was dismissed shortly thereafter and went straight down to the office to call Mulder, relieved that the meeting went well after all.

"Hey, it's me," I said when he picked up. 

"How did it go? Is the Skinman all upset that I'm leaving him for good?"

I laughed. "He's completely broken up about it, had to break out the tissues and everything."

"Just as I expected," he laughed. 

"Well, he did accept the proposal anyway. He's supposed to call me by the end of the day and tell me for sure if we should progress, but he doesn't seem worried about it not going through."

"Good," he said. "Hey, do you want to come over tonight? For dinner?"

I thought for a moment. That's the only thing I wanted to come home to every night, so I might as well start saying yes. "Sure. What's on the menu?"

"A surprise!" he said. "And don't worry, I'm not cooking so you won't die from it either."

We shared a laugh and hung up after establishing a time. I went to the desk, Mulder's old desk, and noticed that he hadn't packed up anything yet. His vacation would still be active through the end of the month, but he'd at least have to make a trip in to gather everything. Maybe later this week, to show off Henry. 

I sat down and started going through the small amount in our inbox. Most of the cases I dismissed as the usual lights in the sky fodder that even Mulder didn't fall for anymore. There was one case that looked viable but was more suited to a different department. No leads on old cases, nothing new for me to really investigate. 

Just as I was getting in to boring but necessary statistics for quarterly projections for a department with more than two agents, I heard a knock at the door. 

Skinner entered as I looked up and sat in the chair across from me. 

"It's too quiet down here without Mulder running around, isn't it?" he greeted.

"Sir, I was expecting a call, not a personal visit?"

"Yes, about that. I floated the idea above my head and they're willing to see official projections soon."

"That's great! I should have something concrete by the end of the week, beginning of next at the latest."

"Good. There's just one thing," he started. I must've looked surprised because he waved his hand. "Don't worry, nothing crazy. The newest Deputy Director isn't completely sold on the department as a whole. However," he lets out a sigh, "she has a niece that is being stalked and it has been turning violent. Because of her bureau connections, the FBI has been handling the case and the believe they will be able to wrap it up. You, luckily, happen to be the right height and likeness of the victim to set up a trap."

"So, she's requesting that I do this and then she'll approve our plans? Seems a little like blackmail, sir." It didn't seem like too much of a hassle, but it seemed like there was something off about the whole situation. 

"That's not exactly the deal, Scully. Technically, there is no deal. The Agent in Charge of the investigation pinged me last week about using you but I didn't see it as a priority. But now, a favor like this can only help. You and Mulder are going to need as much support as you can get if you don't want the files to die when you leave."

I thought for a moment. I didn't want the files to be abandoned, or even destroyed. It would kill Mulder if he thought it was his fault, and all of our work establishing ourselves in the bureau would be wasted. Our legacy. "Understood sir. I'm in."

"Excellent. I'll have the case files sent to you in the morning and as well as contact with the lead agent. This one isn't a long con, it should be wrapped up in a week or two at most from what I've heard, and your part will be very minor." Skinner stood up to leave. 

I stood up to see him out. "Thank you sir, I appreciate it and so does Mulder."

I sat back down with a sigh. One last active case. Then a break, then teaching. I can handle that. 

I passed the rest of the afternoon compiling and checking statistics and writing up some of the more practical aspects of the transition, and before I knew it I was heading over to Mulder's with my drafts for dinner.


	7. Chapter 7

The week was dragging on and on. I was so immersed in finalizing the projections for the department that I barely had time for anything else. Usually, when I'm this focused on something, time flies, but without Mulder here to keep me company and distract me my days stretched onward indefinitely. 

Monday night's dinner was actually a little hectic, but perfect. Mulder and I tried to catch up on everything and eat (his surprise food turned out to be takeout from my favorite Thai place) and placate a very unhappy baby. It seemed like poor Henry's teeth were all attacking his gums at once and he was not welcoming them with patience. 

Tuesday was much of the same, except I finally got the details on the stalking case. Skinner was right, it looked like it was wrapping up. The stalker was escalating, he moved from letters to pictures to leaving dead animals on the porch of the woman. It started with a squirrel, but quickly progressed to her neighbor's dog, the bastard. 

There was a stakeout and trap planned for the weekend, and they had plenty of evidence stacked against him to convict. My job would be to take her place inside her house for the weekend until he showed up, likely not taking more than a few hours on Saturday night if the rumors of his movements were true. The main strategy meeting wasn't until Friday, so I focused all of my resources on departmental planning. 

I had dinner again with Mulder and Henry, this time bringing Chinese food along with me and a new bear for Henry to play with. It was blue and nearly as big as him, and he loved it which delighted me to no end. Spending any evening with my boys was a joy in itself.

I was halfway through my Wednesday, planning on either skipping lunch or grabbing something quick, when the door opened and in walked Mulder with Henry strapped to his chest. 

"Nice look Mulder, very Mr. Mom," I laughed and got up to say hi to Henry, glad for the distraction from the tedious work. "To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from my boys?"

His eyes lit up at the sentiment and I smiled back, playing with Henry's dangling feet between us. 

"We were bored as hell, Scully! Cabin fever times a million, so I brought lunch."

Sure enough, two sandwiches were inside Henry's diaper bag along with cans of Diet Coke. Mulder unfolded a travel play-mat and we sat down on the floor next to Henry to eat, catching up on our lives since last night's dinner. 

"He's been flipping over and over all morning," said Mulder. "I had to chase him around the living room and put him in the day pen so he'd stop!"

I laughed at the image of a baby outrunning Mulder. "He'll be crawling soon, and walking right after that," I said. Mulder's eyes got big at the thought. 

"Oh, god. He'll never stop will he."

"Bababababababa," Henry agreed. 

"So, please tell me that Skinner is in? I want to introduce him to Henry," said Mulder around the last of his sandwich. "And see his face when I bring in a baby strapped to my chest."

"I'm coming with you for that," I said. "I'm supposed to give him the cost projections we finished yesterday for the department in," I checked my watch, "20 minutes."

"Perfect," he said. 

We passed the time playing with Henry, acting surprised and happy every time he showed off his new skills. 

I helped get Henry strapped back on to Mulder, which was a delight, and grabbed the file for Skinner. We got a few looks in the elevator, one younger agent in particular outright staring at Mulder until to the point of almost missing her floor, much to our amusement. 

The hallway to Skinner's office was much the same-agents stopped in shock and confusion at the sight of Mulder and a baby, and possibly me grinning right next to them. I tried to make eye contact with most of them-yes, this is our life now, we made it. 

We arrived at Skinner's office, Arlene giving us a different reaction than most as she greeted us with a huge grin. 

"This must be Henry! Hello, Agents," she added, a beeline straight for Henry. "He's gorgeous, Agent Mulder, may I?" Mulder nodded and Arlene reached out to shake Henry's little hand. "Skinner is expecting you, go on in," she added after just a moment. 

Amused, we entered Skinner's office. For a moment he didn't look up, just greeted me, but as soon as he saw Mulder trailing in behind me his jaw hit the desk, fully unprepared at the sight of him with a baby strapped to his chest. 

I couldn't help myself, and neither could Mulder, and we both burst into mild giggles at the sight, Henry following our lead with his own giggles, creating a ripple effect with ours. Skinner was caught up in it too, and for a full minute we all just giggled. 

It was the single most unprofessional moment in my life, and it was perfect. 

We calmed down soon enough and settled down across from Skinner. He spoke first. 

"Mulder, didn't expect to see you today."

"Well, sir, Henry and I were just bringing Scully some lunch and thought we'd drop by and say hello." Mulder had unstrapped his son and was bouncing him in his lap, and Skinner looked on with an air of disbelief for a moment before shaking his head and turning to me. 

I handed him the part of the report I'd been working on since Monday, with Mulder's input of course. "Here are the numbers of it, sir. We're still working on the draft for the more day to day regulations and goals for the department," I said over Henry's excited noises, "as well as our own involvement in the department down the line."

I still hadn't told Mulder my full plans for moving on, but I was planning on working it in this Friday. 

"Looks good, Scully," he replied. "I'll send this up the ladder electronically as soon as I go over it. When are you expecting to have the rest done by?"

I glanced at Mulder but he was occupied with Henry still. "This weekend we're planning on putting our final revisions on it, so Monday morning most likely."

"Even with the stakeout on Saturday?" he raised an eyebrow. "I don't want anything rushed here, Agent, if you need more time."

I didn't want to take more time than necessary and was about to tell him it would be fine when Mulder spoke up. 

"Don't worry, Skinman," said Mulder, "it's mainly my revisions this weekend while Scully gets to play in the field."

Skinner rolled his eyes at the nickname but accepted Mulder's statement with a nod. "Alright then, Agents, if that's all-" he gestured toward the door. 

We stood up to leave and Skinner followed us to the door. "Mulder-" he stopped us. "Cute kid."

Mulder smiled and held Henry a little closer, the harness straps swinging around as he adjusted his grip. 

We walked through the bullpen again, still getting a variety of glances from people and soon we were back down in the office, Henry squirming to be put down again. 

Mulder got down on the floor with him and I went back to the desk. 

"How many of those people do you think saw me and Henry and thought I stole a baby?" he asked. 

I smiled at the question, but when I looked up Mulder's face was serious, almost hurt, but it disappeared in a flash like it wasn't there at all. 

"At least half I'm sure," I said jokingly, trying to lighten the odd mood. "The other half probably thing you've become your own x file."

He half smiled at that and let it go, but I sensed that he was just burying his emotions, hiding them from me, whatever they were. Later, I thought, I would help him work out whatever he was hiding, but now was not the time or place. He'd tell me when he was ready.

"Skinner's face was pretty priceless though," he laughed. 

We chatted a little more until Henry was getting fussy, ready for his afternoon nap.

My day, brightened by the visit, was once again dimmed after they left, and by the time I was ready to call it a day it was too late to go over to Mulder's for dinner. 

Thursday was the worst of the week by far. I was in a foul mood for missing dinner the night before, and I felt rushed and late all day even though the minutes ticked by like hours.   
I got as much work done as I could, and promptly at 5 pm I was headed to my car, calling Mulder along the way. 

"Hey, want me to bring dinner tonight?" I greeted when he picked up. 

"Um, nah, that's okay," he said. "The, uh, the guys are coming over tonight anyway. We're going to teach Henry how to play poker. Guys night."

I was confused, he hadn't mentioned the Gunmen coming to visit before this. "Can't I join in?"

"It's okay, Scully, I know you don't want to hang out with them. I'll see you tomorrow night like we planned?" 

He was trying to get me to hang up and I didn't understand. Did I do something wrong? It didn't sound like he was in trouble, he didn't use any of our codes, and deep down I felt like he was just deflecting. 

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow. Hey-" I said before he could hang up, "you're okay, right? You seem a little off."

He sighed over the line and I could imagine him rubbing a hand across his face. "Yeah," he said in a softer tone. "I'm okay. I just, I'll see you tomorrow." He hung up. 

I didn't understand. Why was he acting like this? He sounded almost sad over the line, and defensive. I got in my car and mentally went over the last few days and I couldn't pinpoint anything that would've triggered that in him. He would've told me if something was wrong with Henry.

Something must've happened when he left the office yesterday, or earlier today. I hoped the Gunmen would put him in a better mood before tomorrow. 

Once I pulled up to my apartment, I sent him a quick text telling him to call me if he wanted to talk. The best thing I thought to do was give him some space, at least for that night. 

Friday was, once again, the day. Just a week ago I had been trying to figure out what was going on with Mulder, and then our lives had changed dramatically in one of the best ways possible.   
Henry. 

A baby, Mulder had a baby boy. I loved him the moment I saw him, just like Mulder did, because he was an extension of my best friend. A tiny Mulder, as scary as that sounds. His entrance disrupted my course to tell Mulder how I felt, but only for a week. 

A long, boring, wonderful week full of paperwork and life-altering, career-altering decisions. 

It was practically all I could think of in the meeting that morning-of finally telling him that night how I felt. I was glad that I waited a week, I felt more sure and steady. Besides, I didn't want him to think that I was rushing into something because of Henry. Henry only made the decision that much brighter, a little more perfect. 

There was a lurking fear of rejection, of course. While I couldn't imagine Mulder throwing me out of his life after I told him how I felt, he could easily put the brakes on our relationship, prefer it remain a friendship. Prefer I didn't help raise his child. 

And the weirdness of the night before-was that him trying to distance himself from me? It felt ridiculous to say so, but it was still causing me to pause and wonder.

But I had to take the chance. A chance like this one is once in a lifetime if you're lucky, and I've survived enough bullshit over the years to know that someone up there is watching over me. 

"Agent Scully?"

My mind was pulled back fully into the meeting. 

"Uh, yes sir. I understand."

"Good," said the Special Agent in Charge. "As long as everyone is aware of the plan, I'll see you all tomorrow at 1900 hours. Dismissed." 

Finally. We'd gone over the plan at least twice more than necessary. It was a simple mission, one I wasn't even worried about. My main goal was to get full support from those in power for the x files. Mulder and I had fought enough for the department in the past that we wanted to be absolutely sure that it would survive for longer than our reign. A simple assist on a stalking case was no big deal, even if I would rather have the whole weekend off.

Back in the office after the meeting, I was restless. There was nothing more to be done, not today. The proposition for the department would be done by Monday, and I had put a hold on any incoming cases that weren't urgent. 

I decided to go home early. I locked up the office and headed to the car, walking a little faster than I intended. 

I ignored how empty my apartment felt and stripped in the bathroom. I had enough time for a long bath, which is exactly what I needed after the last couple weeks to prepare for tonight. 

I luxuriated in the bath, hydrating with water instead of relaxing with wine as the bubbles took their time popping around me. I shaved my legs, not entirely planning on showing them off tonight but still, I always felt more prepared to face the world when groomed. 

Lotion was next, all over and smelling faintly of vanilla. My nail polish was chipped so I took it off my fingers and toes and reapplied with clear, just for something simple. I realized that it had been ages since I took the time to take care of myself like this and it felt nice. 

I found myself standing in front of my closet in a bathrobe, staring at the pitiful options I had that weren't work related. 

What to wear, what to wear. Casual, again, but it couldn't hurt to look a little nicer than usual. I wear a black suit like a second skin on duty, but this evening calls for soft, fitted jeans and a close-fitting shirt in dark blue. The shirt is a good color, not too dark but a little more grown up and sexy than any of my pastel sweater sets as it was a bit more revealing in the neckline. Not that I had much there to show off. I sighed.

I went light on the makeup, just some mascara and light eyeshadow, leaving my freckles bare and happy that I didn't have any blemishes to cover up. I remember Mulder once commenting on my freckles, that he liked them. 

I decided on black boots, too nice and tall to be practical for every day but comfortable and nice for tonight, especially since they help to bring my height up toward Mulder a little more than usual, which will hopefully be necessary tonight. 

Looking at the finished outfit in the mirror I felt…good. Ready. Well, ready as one can be to bare my soul to my best friend and ask to be a part of a family I probably didn't deserve. 

The clock on the mantle told me it was almost time to leave so I put on my coat and got ready to head over, mentally rehearsing my speech again in my head, building up my courage and resolve.

We had waited long enough.


	8. Chapter 8

I felt different pulling in to Mulder's driveway Friday night. The air was crisp and clean, October just starting to bring in the pervasive chill of winter yet to come. The sun was on its way down, and Mulder's home looked inviting with its porchlight and activity within. I felt ready.

From the shadows on the curtains it looked like Mulder and Henry were having a grand time playing airplane in the living room.

I took a minute, just sitting in the quiet car, letting the breeze blow through the open car windows. Tonight was the night, however it went, to tell him I was ready for something more.

I knocked on the door and it was open in no time, Mulder lugging Henry under his arm.

"Hey Scully! We were just being UFOs, come on in," he said slightly out of breath.

I took off my jacket as I walked inside, smiling at my boys. I've come to think of them as mine, anyway.

"You look nice tonight," said Mulder, shifting a squirming Henry around.

"Thanks," I said quietly. I tried not to blush at the compliment and instead focused on Henry, who provided a perfect distraction.

"Waaa-aah!" he exclaimed.

"I bet so!" I replied to Henry, holding out my arms for Mulder to hand him over. I chatted with the babbling boy in my arms as we followed him into the kitchen where he peeked in the oven.

"Whatcha got cookin' in there Mulder?"

He straightened up and faced us. "Another of my famous specialties-store-bought lasagna for two."

We both smiled and I tickled Henry. "And how's my boy been, huh? I didn't know you could fly! Here I thought you were just a normal little boy!" Henry was delighted and giggling in my arms, and Mulder looked on smiling as he approached us. It was a perfect beginning to this evening.

"No, Scully, he's been hiding his secret this whole time… He is UFO-boy!"

Henry squealed at Mulder's tone and Mulder swooped in and began flying him about again, off and in to the living room.

I let the boys have their flying saucer time and set the table, happy to see three functioning chairs and a high-chair for Henry. His new plates were not chipped, and his new silverware all matched and there was more than one spoon.

I moved to the living room where it looked like Mulder and Henry were having a very serious discussion about something. I got closer, leaning on the frame between there and the hallway, and heard that Mulder was telling Henry the more popular lore of bigfoot's home in the forest.

This kid was going to have an interesting perspective on life, I'll give him that.

"So young and innocent, and yet you're already corrupting him. Mulder I'm not surprised at all."

"Corrupting? Please," Mulder turned to me. "This young man needs to learn the truth!"

We bantered happily about the proper exposure to the unexplained for Henry as he grows up, taking turns tickling him, until the timer on the oven beeped.

Once we sat down to dinner my nerves started to rise. Mulder's wine pour didn't feel generous enough to settle the rampaging bulls masquerading as butterflies in my stomach. I couldn't tell you how the lasagna tasted, or if Henry ate before or after Mulder, only that I was so hyper-aware of myself and my surroundings that it felt like an out of body experience.

"More wine?"

I broke out of my trance at the question and nodded. A little warm liquid courage sounded like just what I needed.

We finished the meal, alternatively commenting on how much Henry had grown and done in just a week, watching him start to nod off in his high chair.

"I can put him down if you'd like?" I asked after we had finished.

"Sounds good," agreed Mulder. "I'll clean up while you're doing that."

Henry yawned widely when I picked him up, reminding me of a sleepy Mulder so much I felt like crying. Being around this baby, Mulder's baby, was messing with my hormones and instincts dramatically, but I loved every second of it.

"Oh, Henry," I spoke to him softly, starting the process of changing him in his room. "I hope after tonight I'll be around a lot more, and we can do this more nights, yeah? You like that?" I pretended to eat his feet which was a fan favorite, and he responded sleepily.

"It's time for bed now, though, little boy, I love you so so much so I want you to sleep really well and we'll get to play again soon, okay?"

I placed him in his crib, feeling a surge of love and affection for the little boy, much like what I felt for Mulder. If this worked out, if Mulder thought that it was time for us as well, I could see myself raising this little boy with Mulder's features with him. I hadn't allowed myself the guilty pleasure of imagining that this week, not fully, and it brought a tear to my eye that I quickly wiped away.

I leaned over Henry and gave him a kiss on the forehead before letting him sleep.

When I came back into the living room, Mulder was already on the couch. He'd brought in our half empty wine glasses and had his feet up on the coffee table next to them, leaving plenty of room for me to sit next to him.

"Wanna stay for a movie Scully? I can make popcorn."

I sat next to him, close but not too close, angling myself with one leg on the cushion so I was facing him fully.

"Maybe later, Mulder. There's actually a few things I would like to talk about," I managed to say steadily. At the last second, I avoided saying the despised 'we need to talk' and I was pleased at how calm I sounded.

"Sure," he replied, sounding a little wary but not skittish. "Fire away."

I felt a hum in the air, a rising emotional tension our bodies were unconsciously making, knowing something important was about to be revealed.

I took a deep breath, getting comfortable on the couch, knowing that I was going to ease into the big stuff with some smaller stuff first. "Well, first off, I kind of want to check in with you, you know. How you're adjusting to everything, to Henry-we've spent most of this week talking about work and not about this stuff. I want to make sure you're okay."

I thought this was a good place to start, to see where he was at.

He let out a breath. "Ah, emotions and whatnot-some of my favorite stuff," he smirked, quickly draining the rest of his wine. "To be honest, I'm still pretty overwhelmed with everything, you know?"

I nodded, letting him speak.

"I-I still don't know how to raise a kid by myself, Scully. I mean, I've survived for the last week, with your help, but now that everything is settling in I don't know what to think or feel. As you know, I didn't exactly have the best role models to base my parenting off of. I keep thinking about her, about Agatha, what she would have wanted. Does it make me a bad person that I don't really feel bad that she's dead? I mean, I do, for Henry's sake. He'll never know his biological mother. But I really don't know anything about who she was, what she was like, and I don't really care to find out. It's like," he struggled with the words. "It's like trying to grab a wisp of smoke or something. Her life is just defined by Henry's presence in mine, and I'm grateful to her for that, but I'm completely disconnected to anything further. I just love my kid."

I took all of that in for a moment, trying to suss out what he was feeling. "You're not a bad person, Mulder. She was a stranger that you shared some DNA with and then she kept its product from you until she died. I mean, who knows, she could've been planning to tell you next week, but what is important," I took a breath. "What is truly important is that you have a little boy in there to love and protect for the rest of your life."

He turned to me, emotions written plainly on his face, and smiled sadly. "Henry is the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I don't want to screw it up, screw him up, by being me."

He looked so helpless, just then. I covered his hand with mine, resting on his thigh, and hoped he'd listen to what I was about to say.

"Mulder, is this why you were acting so odd on the phone last night? Because wherever this self-doubt about raising Henry is coming from, it's undeserved. You've already done everything within your power to accept him into your life and become a good father-you've made a home for him, complete with more than one chair," he huffed out a laugh at that, "and you've given up your career to be here for him. I couldn't imagine anyone better for him than you."

I let that sink in a little, wondering if the banter over teaching bigfoot earlier was playing into his self-doubt anxieties, but I didn't want to bring that up. After a moment, he started talking again.

"Yeah, I ah," he started. "After lunch on Wednesday I heard some stuff on my way out, the same old stuff really but now it was directed toward me raising Henry. Spooky dad, spooky kid."

He still looked sad, defeated about it, and I wasn't having that.

"Whatever they said about you is wrong, Mulder. When have they ever been right about you, about us, anyway? I am telling you right now that you are a good person, and a fantastic dad. I don't see any of those agents dropping their careers to take care of their children. I think they're jealous, deep down, that you came out on top and have a beautiful kid to boot."

His eyes lit up a little and he smirked, trying to lighten the mood just as I was. "And I've got you to tell me that I need to buy silverware and food."

We both smiled at that, letting the conversation settle and shift to something else.

"Sorry for the, um. I think Henry is bringing out the emotional honesty side in me," he laughed lightly. "Or maybe the wine. Is there something else you wanted to tell me? Or is it bad movie time yet?"

"Well, a few things, yes," I said, suddenly very conscious of my hands around his on his thigh, but I didn't move them. Instead, I ducked my head to stare at them, his hand so much larger than even both of mine wrapped around it.

"For one, I'm ah, planning on moving on from the department, like you have. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before but I was waiting for things to get a little more settled. Once the expansion has gone through and I've helped train the new teams on our protocol, I'm not going to stay on the files anymore. I've already written up my contract portion for the proposal. I just can't see myself working there without you."

When I looked up, Mulder's eyes were very big and he didn't appear to be breathing. Shit. This was supposed to be the easier part of tonight and something was already going sideways.

"I'm so sorry, Scully," he started.

"Wait, Mulder, no," I tried, but he kept talking.

"I knew I'd just keep fucking up your life." He leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees, his head hanging down. I could practically see him slipping into a dark spiral in his head.

This isn't at all what I wanted to happen, especially after what we had just talked about with his parenting Henry.

"Mulder, it's not your fault that I'm-"

"No, Scully, you don't have to lie to me. That's all I've ever done. Scully, I've-" He stood up quickly and started to pace. "I've fucked up your life in almost every way imaginable. You've been hurt more times than I want to recount on my watch, you've been to hell and back because of me, for me, and in the pursuit of my beliefs. Your sister died-God, Scully, even your goddamn dog died! Because of me! You can't have children" his voice broke, "because of me, Scully."

My heart was breaking at his words. He must've been cramming this down for a while to have it all come bursting out at once.

"And now-now I've gone and finally fucked up the last thing that was going well for you, your career, because I made a mistake and now I'm raising a child on my own and you're leaving me too."

I couldn't take it anymore.

"Mulder!" I shouted and stood up, crossing over to where he stopped his pacing. "Mulder, calm down, none of that is true! What on earth makes you think I'm leaving you?"

He hung his head down and I put my hands on his arms so he wouldn't move away. He didn't answer me right away so I kept talking.

He still didn't answer, but I pressed on. "Mulder, it's just time to move on, okay? It was time for you, with Henry, and I think for me too. And it's my choice to-yes you have something to do with it, you and Henry. I don't see myself working on the files without you as my partner, but I don't resent you for raising your son, Mulder, for being a good dad. I thought we'd already gone over this."

I could tell something was still bothering him.

"What is it, Mulder?" I asked softly, tightening my grip on his arms a little.

He let out a long sigh. "Where are you leaving to, Scully?" he mumbled.

"Quantico, hopefully," I answered frankly, trying to bring him back down to earth. "Teaching, doing autopsies for the files when I'm needed. I'm not going anywhere, Mulder, and I'm not leaving you, whatever you meant with that. I think it's time I leave field work in the past. What's got you so upset here Mulder? I am not going anywhere."

He scoffed. "Not immediately, no, you aren't, but when we don't have to work together anymore then you will have no reason to be around me anymore, Scully. You're my best friend, my everything here, and now you're moving on? It's kind of a major deal to me, so don't act surprised that I'm upset."

I didn't know what to say to that-did he really think this was my way of breaking it to him gently that we weren't friends anymore, after everything we'd been through? I was torn between wanting to slap some sense into him and just crying at the thought that he felt so unloved.

"Now I'm going to be alone," he said softly, so softly I almost didn't hear him. "Figures." He stood up straight, visibly trying to appear fine with whatever dark path his mind was running down.

"Mul-," I tried, tripping over my words. "Mulder do you really think so little of yourself? Of me-of our friendship? What about this past week-we've been together more than apart."

"Why not, everyone else does, Scully. I've known that your friendship has always been a matter of time and convenience. The big threat is over, our partnership is over, it's time for you to move on," he replied unemotionally, like he was stating a fact. "This past week has been wonderful, and thank you for helping me get settled, but I know you need to move on."

My mouth was hanging open, and I couldn't help but get a little defensive. "Do you really think so little of me? That-that I would what, just abandon you and your son after we've spent the better part of a decade together?"

"We won't have the files to keep us tied together anymore, Scully. Look-I don't blame you! Your life has been messed with enough because of me, there's no need for you to feel like you need to hang around me out of guilt-"

"It's not nothing Mulder! It's everything! You're my whole damn life, you idiot!"

Mulder, finally, was silent, standing stock still.

"I do not know what I have to say here to drill it in to your head," I said in a dangerously low voice I only use when I'm at my absolute nerve's end, "but I am _not_ leaving you, or your son, just because I don't want to work on the x files without you."

"It's not about the files, Scully-"

"No! It is my turn to talk here Mulder and you're not listening to me! This not my two weeks' notice on us! This is me trying to tell you that I want to be a bigger part of your life!"

Mulder opened his mouth to speak again and I swear to god the flash of frustrated rage that went through me was too big to not slap my hand over his mouth, making him look even more shocked than before.

This entire situation had gotten way out of control and I had no idea how to reign it back in. We stood there for a moment, connected only by my palm fitting over his mouth, breathing deeply through our noses.

"Can I finish now?"

Mulder nodded and I released him.

"Mulder I want you to listen to me very seriously right now. I am stepping back from the x files after I help train the new agents. I am going to transfer to Quantico to a different position and still consult on the files when I am needed, just like you. With me so far?"

He nodded again, looking a little afraid at my tone of voice, but I needed him to really hear me on everything. I stepped closer and softening my tone for the next part of this. After a deep breath, I began again.

"As for me? There is no one in this world that I could imagine abandoning less than you. You are my world, my partner, my best friend. We are, inextricably, part of each other's lives forever, no matter if I work at Quantico or get a job at Dairy Queen down the street. What I want, Mulder? I want to change this," I gestured at the short distance between us, "to something more than what we have been. I want you, Mulder, in my life, and I want to be in yours and Henry's far more than as a friend. I love you, Mulder."

I said it, I said it finally, and I felt a tear escape as I gazed up into Mulder's eyes, him staring at me, into me, unblinking. I continued with barely a pause, "That's what I've been trying to tell you tonight, I've been building up the courage just to finally admit to you that I have loved you for years and I want to be with you, you and Henry, and it is time that we let ourselves try, because the world has beaten us up enough, don't you think?"

I felt like I was floating at my admission, but just for a nanosecond.

Mulder brought me back down to earth with his hands framing my face. "Scully," he breathed, and my name had never sounded so sweet. "You want us, Scully?" he stroked my face. "Really? You-you love me and want to-"

"Mulder," I interrupted his murmuring with my hand on his chest. "Mulder, how could I walk away from the thing I've most wanted in this world?"

Before I knew it his lips were on mine, sweet, but firm and deep and I swear I felt the kiss in my toes.

"Scully," he breathed against my lips. "Scully, Scully, Scully," he kissed me again and I let him, this time our mouths opening.

Finally, I got to feel his plump bottom lip between mine, his tongue soon following. We deepened the kiss, tilting our heads. He straightened a little, forcing me to stand on tiptoe even in my boots as I followed him. We moved gently, perfectly, and I felt my skin tingling where he placed his hands, where we pressed against each other.

It was better, so much better, than I had imagined. Mulder felt strong and real and so warm in my arms. We broke apart, after just moments of becoming familiar with each other in this new way, and he rested his forehead on my own.

I expected the world to explode, to wake up from a dream, to be ambushed by aliens, the moment felt too good to be real.

"Well," he breathed, "this has been an interesting conversation."

Mulder took one of my hands and we moved to the couch again, feeling slightly off balance from the rapid shift in our relationship that just took place.

I opened my mouth to speak but Mulder beat me to it.

"Before you say whatever it is you're about to say," he paused, his eyes gazing into mine, tethering me to him, "I have something to tell you too. I love you, Scully," he said softly but without hesitation.

I gasped gently at the effect those simple words had on me, and he continued to lean closer.

"I have loved you, and will love you, forever, but are you sure you want-"

"I have wanted this, with you, and I think it is finally time that we allow ourselves to try, don't you?"

Instead of answering he just kissed me on the lips, both of us reveling in our new ability to do so. One press of lips turned into two, becoming more passionate as our hands got involved. Just the feeling Mulder's tongue in my mouth was delicious and I knew I could quickly become addicted to the way he explored my teeth and sucked on my lips, the way his hand ran down my back and to my thigh and set my nerves on fire.

We were making out on the couch like teenagers, but before it progressed much further, Henry alerted us to his wakefulness with a loud cry and we broke apart, panting.

"I need to have a chat with my son about timing," said Mulder, laughing as he reluctantly removed himself from our embrace.

I sat on the couch, trying to settle myself from the whirl of the evening, absently touching my kiss swollen lips and listening to Mulder talk to his son down the hall, feeling like my world had veered towards something entirely perfect, and thinking irrationally about adopting a dog and buying a minivan.

One step at a time, and this was a big enough one to start with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! I hope you enjoy this monster of a chapter, and I hope I didn't mess up anything too badly! let me know what you think!  
> also yay! the title of the thing in the thing!


	9. Chapter 9

This move, this change in our lives, whatever it meant, was the epitome of wish fulfillment. I was frozen in time, sitting on Mulder's couch, unconsciously replaying every move and emotion the night had held for us in giddy amazement. 

Finally. Finally, finally, finally was all I could think. I finished my previously abandoned wine and went into the kitchen with both of our glasses. 

Just as I was rinsing them under the too-warm water, Mulder came up behind me, molding his body to the back of mine and sliding his hands around my waist. God, that felt nice. I melted back into his embrace, still cleaning the glasses, and gasped when he started nosing gently at my neck. It already felt so natural to just be in his arms. 

Glasses safely on the counter to dry and water turned off, he electrified his assault, nosing the sensitive area just under my ear and nipping at where he had before, making me shiver and turn in his grasp, tilting my head for another kiss. I felt like I was on fire in the best possible, touch and kiss starved for years and this night only doubled my need-a taste for what we were headed for was enough to fray at my already sparking nerves.

Mulder worked his way across my jaw and down my neck with nips, sometimes stopping at a particularly sensitive spot, and I encouraged him with one hand in his silky hair and the other wandering over his shirt, feeling the corded strength underneath. 

A thought nudged its way gently into my mind mid-kiss, should we be continuing this tonight? It was sooner than I expected, even for a positive outcome I hadn't really thought we'd have sex already-ah. Mulder did something extra delicious with his tongue on my collarbone and I drew in a loud breath, losing my train of thought. 

I tugged his head back up to mine, mindful of the strain on his neck already and cursed my height, and thrust my tongue into his mouth as apology. He didn't seem that upset about it. Instead, he slipped his hands that had been playing near my waist down and grabbed my ass, bringing my whole frame up and into his and we grinned against each other. Any higher and I would've wrapped my legs around his waist at that would've been curtains for my plan to cool this down.

A moan escaped from my throat, echoed soon after in his. I knew if this kept going on we'd be doing something entirely inappropriate for the kitchen setting. 

Half-heartedly, I slowed my kisses, deepening them slightly but pulling back longer each time to catch my breath. We came to a stop again, flush against each other, with our foreheads touching in a familiar position. 

"Oh, Scully." He was so close that our breaths mingled. "I can't tell you how long I've wanted to do that. This." He pulled me impossibly closer and I tucked my head into his neck. 

"Me too, Mulder," I managed. 

"This feels like a dream," he muttered into my hair. "I don't want to wake up."

Playfully, I pinched his butt and he jumped a little in my arms with a laugh.

"You're awake," I smiled into his shirt. "It does all feel like a lot, doesn't it?" I added after a moment. 

He pulled back to look down at me, his flushed face matching my own. "Too much?" He looked a little worried. 

"No," I said quickly. "No, it's just so much good all at once that it's a little like my heart is overflowing, but in the best possible way. You, Henry, everything. It's perfect, Mulder. I don't want to mess it up."

"That makes two of us then, and we're usually pretty good as a team, yeah?" He smirked and gently kissed me again, lingering a little but not letting it deepen. "I can't believe, I mean, I never imagined that you would-" he breathed. 

"I would, Mulder," I said back, knowing the feeling but wanting him to know that I was completely sincere. "I'm all in, okay? Everything. It's just," I took a breath, "the last time that a baby came into my life, she died before I got a chance to know her."

"Oh, Scully," he started.

"I know, I know this isn't the same thing, and I have you right by my side as always. But it does feels like this sudden wish fulfillment that could be snatched away at any moment-like you could just boot me out or I could wake up and this could all be gone forever, and I think it's because all of this happened so suddenly that it hasn't settled in my brain."

"I hope you know I'll never do that, Scully. I'm afraid you're stuck with me," he said, reassuring me with his gaze. 

I smiled in response, basking in the honestly and vulnerability we were both showing for once, and just as much wanting that overtly emotional part over and done with so we could get to the good stuff, but I continued. "Deep down I do believe that, but my brain doesn't quite trust it yet. Hasn't trusted much in quite a few years, and with good reason."

"I know, I get it. But what about your heart, though, Scully?" He moved one of his large hands to rest over my heart, just above my breast, and I shuddered at the sentiment. 

I forced a shaky breath and closed my eyes, at the same time covering his hand with my own. "My heart is so full, Mulder, from this last week. Full to bursting. Full of love and absolute reverence. That's your little baby sleeping in the other room, Mulder. He's perfect. You're a father, and I want to be a part of your family, if you'll let me. I, ah, think I'm still in shock too," I huffed out a laugh at the end. 

He hugged me, then, and we remained like that for a long while, embracing in his kitchen, breathing each other in. I could feel the scattered pieces of myself come back to me, moments and emotions that were flung around in the hurry and momentum of the night, tripping over themselves to keep up with the sudden shifts and turns in our conversation and its fiery resolution. 

I felt safe, whole, circled so tightly in his arms in the darkened kitchen. We had silently agreed that this was it for tonight, that anything more would be overload for both of us. I knew I should make my graceful exit soon-it was getting late and I had no intention of sleeping on the couch again. Or, I blushed as I thought it, in Mulder's bed. 

"I should probably go soon," I said into his shirt, making no move to take my arms from their position around him. 

"You don't have to," he breathed. 

"Mulder-" I tensed, and he felt it, tightening his hold a little. 

"Not, nothing has to happen, Scully. Just to sleep."

"I just, I shouldn't, not yet okay? And I need to get some sleep for tomorrow's operation."

He acquiesced with a small nod, pouting a little which I found distinctly endearing. We moved sleepily to the foyer so I could get my jacket and purse. He followed me out on to the dark porch and stopped me before I could go down the steps. 

I waited for him to talk, but he just stared at me for a moment, making my skin tingle in his intense daze. I was just about to speak when he moved his hands up to my shoulders and leaned in again. 

"God, Scully, I love you," is what I think he said before he took my mouth with his. It was the most intense kiss I'd ever felt, even more than earlier, like he was desperate and overwhelmed at the weight of what he felt for me, and he made sure I felt it too. He ran his tongue slowly against my lips, and I opened them willingly as he plunged into my mouth.

My knees went weak and without his strong grip around my back I would've melted into a puddle on his porch which would have been counterproductive. 

He broke off the kiss with an audible smack and I felt dazed, it took a few seconds for my brain to reboot and close my mouth. 

"Well, this is a nice goodbye, could get used to it," I smiled, blinking away the daze. 

Mulder's smile was goofy with happiness and not a little lust. I knew if I stayed we wouldn't be able to keep our hands off each other. 

"Me too," he said, "even though I don't particularly enjoy the goodbye part of it."

I hugged him tight and backed away. It would be so easy to go back inside with him, but I didn't want to rush this. It was going almost too quickly for me to comprehend it as it was. 

"Mulder, I'll see you soon. After the case I'll come over and we can…talk more."

He smirked at that and let me go with a promise in his eyes that we'd be doing more than talking. 

I wasn't complaining. 

\--- 

I slept like the dead that night, the combined accumulation of stresses and emotions from the last week were finally quieted by Mulder and mine's resolution, of sorts, last night. 

God, what a relief. I'd known the cliché of having a weight lifted off your shoulders, but this was a new level. Mulder was in love with me-I had verbal confirmation and, well, physical confirmation. 

Waking up that morning was like when you wake up halfway through a dream but, for just a moment, you still think you're in the dream and whatever you imagined was real. Except, this time, it was real. 

Most of the day passed in a blur. I got caught up on the chores I had been neglecting, laundry, dishes, grocery shopping, cleaning. Before I knew it, it was time to meet the rest of the team for the case switch off. 

Mulder and I had been texting throughout the day as he was equally busy with all of the above plus Henry. Turns out that babies go through a lot of clothing just daily and it was tough to keep up. Tomorrow, if all went well, I would spend with them-maybe even tonight, if his texts implied what I thought they did. I know I wanted to hold off on jumping in bed with him, but dammit if we hadn't already waited long enough. With a child to take care of, and figuring out the reorganization of our careers, we would need to take our chances when they came even if it was just sleeping in his arms. 

I sent a text to Mulder telling him I'd be turning off my phone for the operation and then I drove to the bureau parking garage to meet with the team in their surveillance van. 

The plan was fairly simple, as we had verbally rehearsed it several times over the past few days, and the team had planned it with the victim even longer. I was wearing an exact match to her clothing underneath a baggy tracksuit, my hair was slightly curled and in a low ponytail, and my face was partially hidden under the biggest pair of sunglasses I'd ever worn. 

After greeting the team in the van, I received keys to an undercover bureau vehicle and we headed to the destination, her gym. She habitually went on Saturday evenings, and it was incredibly unlikely that the stalker would follow her there based on his past actions, but we had taken every precaution. 

I was to go in at 7:30, and start working out near the back, just a stationary bike so I was able to do surveillance but not become fatigued. She would enter just before eight, as usual, and go through her whole routine. 

At 8:45, we would both go to the locker rooms where she would don the tracksuit and hairstyle I was wearing, take the keys to the bureau vehicle, and calmly leave to meet a separate team in a different location who would take her to a safe house for the night. I would wait another ten minutes in the locker room, putting my hair up through the hat she'd been wearing and then I would take her bag, her car, and discreetly go into her house. 

Everything went according to plan, although I could tell that Lucy, the woman, was nervous when we silently exchanged clothing and bags. She also gave me her iPod, which had been hanging around her neck, and her watch, which I almost forgot. Her hands were shaking slightly, but I could tell she was strong and she straightened her back on the way out. With the huge sunglasses and clothing, it was like I was looking in a mirror for a moment, even though she had a longer face and about an inch on me in both height and hair length. 

I went to her car and drove her usual route home, making sure my face was obscured as much as possible with the brim of the baseball hat. 

I wasn't used to being undercover. I'm just not great at acting like I'm someone else. I'd spent too much of my life standing up for myself to people who thought I was nothing more than a short redheaded girl that didn't belong out on the playground, in med school, in the bureau. It was akin to torture when Mulder and I had to go undercover in Arcadia Falls a year ago, aside from the fact that pretending to be a couple was slowly driving me insane. It was the fake smiles and trying to fit into that weird, suburbia-uppity brand of woman that went against everything in my DNA that really got to me. 

This assignment wasn't nearly as bad as I was just a body double for the "just in case" scenario where the agents ready to take down the perp outside the house fail at their jobs spectacularly. This job easily could've gone to a rookie agent if there were more short redheads at the D.C. office. 

But Lucy Montgomery got special treatment because of her connection to the Deputy Director, who apparently was starved for some ass-kissing and, luckily for me, I needed her approval on our plans for the files, so my hands were tied. Lucy's townhouse was nicer than I expected, even having a driveway in a space-starved area of the city. I pulled in, killed the engine, and casually walked into the house while still keeping my head down. 

I felt incredibly self-conscious, then, a taste of what it was like to actually be stalked. I imagined intrusive eyes all over my body, following my every move, and I suddenly wished for that extra inch Lucy had. 

I was able to get into the townhouse without fumbling the keys or tripping, and inside was the relative safety I'd be in for the next however many hours it would take for the operation to go down. 

I pulled out my work phone from the purse and flipped it on, waiting for any call from the team stationed somewhere close by. I also secured my holster to the tight jogging shorts I was still in and took my phone and gun to clear and secure the house, just in case. 

It was an odd feeling to be moving through someone else's house, especially without Mulder having my back. I knew they had been watching the place all day and it was unlikely the perp would be inside, but I wasn't taking any chances on this. 

Five minutes later and the house was cleared. I got a bottle of water from the kitchen and went to sit in the corner of the living room so I could see both exits clearly. I turned on the TV to keep up appearances because the lights from the screen could be seen through the sheer curtains drawn around the room. 

Now it was my job to just wait as the perp eventually falls into the trap set up by the agents monitoring the place. 

An hour passed and I got a call, just checking in. Another hour, another call. I hadn't been on a stakeout in so long that I had forgotten how boring they were. I found myself drifting, thinking of the previous night and Mulder in my arms. I couldn't wait to get back to him and Henry.

Forty-five minutes into hour three, I heard a noise in the small back yard. I immediately called it in and looked through the kitchen window, but I didn't have a clear visual. The agents said they would check it out and told me to be on alert.

It was cleared in a few minutes, even though they couldn't find the source of noise either, and we all assumed it was the wind. They couldn't risk going too close to the house in case the stalker was already there watching, but I didn't hear anything else. 

I contemplated making a sandwich or something in the kitchen as I waited to see if the noise would happen again, but ultimately decided against. I was halfway back to the living room when I heard it again, a clear scrape on the outside wall followed by a thud. I flattened my back on the wall in the hallway, once again phoning it in and wishing for radios instead. 

This wasn't supposed to be the means of entry for this guy. All past reports of his escalation through dead animals had been on the front porch, not the back. Agents alerted, I moved slowly back into the kitchen, keeping my back against the wall and checking behind me as I kept moving. 

I made it to the wall beside the back door in the kitchen, the closest entrance to the noise, my gun drawn and ready. I waited, feeling my adrenaline start to rise at the silence of outside and inside, the tinny noise of television laughter the only thing I could hear besides my own breathing and then, a creak, but it wasn't coming from outside it was right behind me and I turned and-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey all! thanks for patiently waiting on this chapter - life just hits ya hard sometimes! besides, I've been working on a few other stories I hope to post after this one is finished so stay tuned on that!


	10. Chapter 10

Goddammit. How the hell did he get in here? Did the team outside notice - did they hear him over my phone? Were they coming? What should I do-shoot or try to cuff him? God, he's huge, no wonder Lisa was so scared. He must be taller than Mulder-I wish he were here with me. 

All of these questions ran through my head in a split second as I turned and saw the suspect behind me. He was dressed in all black, complete with a cap, and loomed in the space. If he had been hiding in the house I couldn't imagine a space that could have held him and escaped my notice, but he obviously got in somehow. 

Before I could really think to raise my weapon he lunged at me and knocked me against the door, holding me there, and I dropped my weapon at the impact. He screamed at me-

"Bitch where is she? What did you do with her! Fucking bitch imposter!"

I kicked at his legs and hit his arms, but he had all the leverage on me. One of his huge forearms was against my collarbones and it was creeping up toward my neck as I struggled. I put my hands on his arm, trying to shove him off, digging my nails in where I could.

It all happened in a split second.

He roared, I remember that. I felt the deep vibrations of his anger in my chest. He said more of his favorite explicative and suddenly he reared back, grabbing my shoulders and I was lifted off the ground-I felt weightless-and then pain. 

The yellow kitchen light was blinding, then I saw everything in double, then I was headed toward the ground, and then everything went black.

-

Oh god oh god, Jesus Christ that hurt, no no nonononono don't-I can't breathe-god it burns don't hold me down don't do that what's on my face what-ambulance? Why, what the hell happened-oh! Christ! I-

-

When I heard the all too familiar beeping of machines matching the rhythmic pounding in my head, I knew I was at least safe. Well, I thought it was machines, although they aren't supposed to make that high-pitched, constant ring I was hearing too. I didn't open my eyes as I floated up into awareness, from what I assumed was a pretty heavy dose of drugs. They tasted funny in the back of my tongue, like blood. It was almost nice, until I felt pain all over, thrumming over every inch of my body just under the haze of the drugs. 

I felt like a human bruise and I was careful not to move besides breathing. I tried to catalogue my body but I was too unfocused. I knew from the ache that as soon as I moved, my pain would be overwhelming. Don't move, don't move, don't breathe, oh no, oh god I can't breathe I can't-ah! 

-

The next time I woke, or maybe a few times after that, it was much less panic inducing. I had been in this situation so many times over that, even after the momentary panic that my mind goes through when waking in a strange place, I relaxed into the bed and noticed that the morphine drip was much more regulated. 

I used to link hospitals with work, with saving lives and learning procedures. With the morgue and solving crimes, speaking up for the deceased since they no longer could. Now the first thought that always goes through my mind when I'm in a room like this is cancer. The empty husk I became, the countless hours and days I had trapped in my head, waiting for the inevitable as I lost control over the outside world. I mentally shook that feeling off, concentrating on the now, the present. 

As the awareness of my body slowly sunk back into my consciousness I still felt that ache throughout my body. I still heard the high whine, concentrated in my right ear, likely from some sort of head injury. That made sense with the throbbing in my skull. God, the perp must've done a number on me before the team got inside. 

Wait. Did they get him?

I was still half-expecting to be pulled back under the cottony wool of medicated sleep, but instead I kept ascending. Tentatively, I flexed my feet and felt the sheet above them move, so I knew I wasn't paralyzed. I took stock of my body as it still thrummed with a universal ache.  
My right ankle felt hot and swollen, and my right knee harmonized the feeling sharply, and I think the whole leg was elevated. My torso felt bruised from the hips up to my collarbones, and I could only imagine the rainbow of colors my skin would and has turned. 

My head throbbed, and I figured that I was likely concussed since I was knocked out at the house, which would've caused the ringing in my ear. At least I could still hear something.   
I suddenly realized that I had no idea how long had passed since the assignment. It easily could've been days, or as little as just hours. I felt a low panic in my gut-there were too many questions I needed answered, and I tried to reassure myself that I was safe, at least for now. 

Reluctantly, I began to open my eyes to the harsh light of the room. They were crusty from being closed for so long, but I opened them to what turned out to be an empty and too-bright room, the light almost glaring. Part of me was surprised that Mulder wasn't there beside me, but I was glad he didn't bring Henry with him. This was no place for a child. 

I gently turned my head and squinted at my surroundings, feeling them swim around me as I moved. The itch of tubes and wires attached to me made themselves known. I was in a standard private room, and a chair was pulled up close to my left side. The blinds were closed amd I could tell it was dark outside, probably the middle of the night. If it was night, that meant the light really wasn't this blinding, and it was another symptom. The doctor in me knew I needed to tell the nurse that I was conscious so I reached out with my left hand to search for the call button. 

Just as I pressed the bright red square, a white-hot flash of pain went through me at the movement and I could tell I at least had badly bruised ribs, if not broken. I heard the nurse come in but my eyes were still squeezed shut from the pain as I tried not to move and tense up, but the waves kept coming and coming. I felt nauseous, my dizziness amplifying the consequence of moving. The nurse must've noticed and turned up the morphine drip because it all started to dull again after she came in.

"Dr. Scully? Are you with me?"

I nodded slightly, pressing my left hand weakly into my ribs as support. "Yes," I rasped. "What-?" is all I could get out as I breathed through the nausea.

The nurse checked my vitals and IV line on my left hand and my right arm, which I just noticed was in a low sling against my chest. My shoulder must've dislocated. Damn. "It's late, ma'am. You're doing just fine. I'll tell the doctor you woke up, but you should get some rest." She hit the button so I could have some more morphine, or maybe to check some other medication, and as much as I wanted to stay awake and get some answers, the welcome release of sleep pulled me under once again. 

\--- 

The next time I came to was daytime, and the world was almost too bright to manage. 

Consciousness came faster, and I was able to move my head freely to my left, thankful for the lack of dizziness this time. I saw the top half of Mulder slumped onto my bed, his hand covering mine, fast asleep. The lights were still so bright to me that there was almost an aura around him where he sat, but I couldn't tear my eyes away.

God, how many times had we been in this exact situation? It was always me or him, and usually the circumstances were much more dire than this. Well, I hoped so. I felt like I'd been hit by a truck, all of my extremities throbbed, my hips and shoulder ached, my ribs were on fire every time I took in a breath and my head-ugh. I didn't want to think about the burning pain radiating from the back of my skull. 

Before I could call for a nurse to come in, I had to move my hand out from under Mulder's. My muscles were stiff from disuse and I yearned to give a full body stretch, but I knew that would feel the opposite of good so I held back my urge. As soon as I twitched my hand, Mulder's grasp tightened and he blinked awake. 

"Scully!" He suddenly stood up and leaned over me. I must've winced because he lowered his tone significantly. "You're awake! Oh, Jesus, Scully." His other hand came up to touch my face gently and he tenderly kissed my forehead. 

I closed my eyes at his touch and gave him what was likely a weak smile, just glad to see him. "Mulder," I croaked, and coughed, which set off a chain reaction of pain around my torso, still dulled from this lighter cocktail they likely had me on to encourage wakefulness. I sucked in air through my teeth at the pain, and Mulder got some water from the table, only letting my hand go for a moment so I could get a drink and to return the glass. 

"Mulder," I tried again. "What happened?"

I could see him tense in anger in the too-bright lighting of the hospital room. "Those idiots-they missed the perp coming in through the side window or somewhere and he attacked you."

"I remember, at least part of it," I said quietly, unable to project my voice much because even my diaphragm was bruised. "He was there so suddenly, hit me like a truck, I was totally overpowered, I think he dropkicked me against the wall. What happened after that?" I shifted slightly and winced, it was going to be a bitch of a time recovering the next few weeks.

"Well apparently, they got your last call and after you didn't respond, they rushed the house. They found the guy in the bedroom upstairs, going ape-shit crazy over the victim's belongings, he's in lockup now and will be forever if I have anything to say about it." He paused a minute and I recognized his expression as his 'contemplating murder' face. He gently stroked my face again. "How are you, Scully?"

"Good question. What's the list?"

He deflated again and I could tell he was itching to go beat up the guy who did this to me, or worse, probably more than I was. "Nothing's broken, that's the good news. You have a sprained ankle, twisted knee, bruised ribs, dislocated shoulder, a nasty head wound that caused a nastier concussion, and, well, you basically are a bruise."

I felt that too. The ringing in my ear was ever present, but I was happy to notice I could still hear out of it under the tone. My shoulder would take weeks to heal fully, my ankle and knee a little longer. My ribs would take hopefully under a month, depending on how bad they were. Symptoms from my concussion could last anywhere from weeks to months, but the tinnitus, dizziness, and photosensitivity should fade soon enough, likely within the week. I told Mulder as much when he asked.

A thought occurred to me. "How long have I been out?" 

Mulder let out a deep sigh and I let myself rest my eyes on him again after recounting my recovery periods. My photosensitivity was still lingering, but had improved even during our conversation, and Mulder looked like shit. Well, compared to how I probably looked he was fit for a ball, but in reality, he had a few days beard growth and rumpled clothing. His eyes were the most startling of his appearance, sunken in and purple from lack of sleep. Jesus. 

"Three and a half days, give or take," he said, and I was a little shocked to have lost that much time. "It's Wednesday, mid-morning. The doctors said it was normal which the amount of…trauma your body went through, and they told me you woke up last night."

I reached out for his hand again and he took it in both of his. "Hey," I said, trying to get his attention back from whatever dark place he was in. "Hey, I'm going to be okay, alright? I know I'm not much to look at right now but after I get done being the human bruise I'll be back to normal." He smiled a little at my tone, to my relief. "Where's Henry?"

Mulder paused and just looked at me for a minute. I wondered how he looked at me like I wasn't all purple and yellow, covered in bandages and wires, but I realized that he'd been here off and on for three days. I'd be mad at him if I wouldn't have done the same thing if he'd been the one in the hospital bed. Now that we'd finally…talked, about our feelings, it was a little easier to empathize our respective stubborn streaks. 

"He's with your mom, actually." I didn't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't that. I raised my eyebrow and he took the signal to continue. "They called me as soon as you were admitted on Saturday night and I came running with Henry in his carrier. The agents were still here and filled me in and, Scully I swear I would've knocked their lights out if it weren't for Henry. Just after I got to the waiting room, your mom showed up and saw me and Henry. She's been a huge help ever since, basically fawning over him, and me too. After they let us see you, and told us you'd be okay, and-god it was so hard to look at how…broken you were, so small and still." He paused, checking his emotions, and I tightened my hold on him until he continued. 

"We stayed with you for a few hours, as long as we could through moving you to the ICU and getting all your scans back. They kicked us out before midnight, and your mom drove me and Henry home. If she didn't I would've called a cab I was so upset-but she helped us get home and get Henry settled. We actually talked for most of the night over tea, waiting by the phone in case something happened."

My heart warmed at the thought of my mom caring so much and getting to meet Henry.   
"I told ya she loves you," I half-smiled, my eyes drooping a little.

His smile was a little more tremulous. "We've been taking shifts ever since," he continued, "visiting you and taking care of Henry, and I've persuaded her to take care of herself and sleep at night, don't worry."

"It's not her I'm worried about right now-Mulder, don't take this the wrong way but you look like shit," I rasped.

He let out a legitimate laugh at that comment and I couldn't help but chuckle a little with him, despite the pain. We were both a little crazy on stress and emotions, and it started to hit me again how tired and sore I was. I wish I could hop forward in time a few weeks to where I could function like a human being again.

"You're one to talk," he chided after we calmed down a bit. "Seriously though, Scully, these past few days…"

"I get it, I understand." I could feel myself start to drift off again. "'M sleepy, Mulder."

"I know, that's okay. You go to sleep, Scully." He brushed at my hair with his free hand. "I love you," he whispered. 

"Love you too," I drifted off to the gentle sensation of his hand against my cheek, knowing that it would all be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading everyone! grad school is kicking my ass right now or I'd be updating sooner, but I promise I'm working on it! there's still plenty to come.   
> please leave a comment or question or something you'd like to see in the upcoming chapters!


	11. Chapter 11

Extended hospital stays were always horrible, yet in my line of work I either seem to be here an hour or a week—sometimes multiple weeks depending on how bad of shape I was in. This time was different than most of the others. I wasn’t actively dying from cancer, wasting away in a sterile room while my family watched on. I wasn’t gaining strength back after an abduction and torture. I wasn’t recovering with Mulder for weeks in quarantine from our latest brush with some supernatural-esque virus or bug or whatever. 

This time, my extended stay was due to healing bruises and recovering joints caused by a completely human man, albeit a shitty one, who was almost three times my size. Even after giving my statement to the agents on the case, I still felt unbalanced after the attack. It’s almost a cliché when people tell you something traumatic happened “so fast,” but it truly felt like it was over before I could react. 

I knew better than to feel inadequate, to blame my stature or sex on how I handled the situation, because those things were out of my control. I just hated that this was my last field assignment and I was literally limping away from it. 

Mulder had been great the whole time I was in the hospital recovering, and so has mom. I think they were as relieved as I was that this was something I could easily get passed, easily heal from. After Mulder left on Wednesday mid-afternoon, just after I woke up from my nap, the doctors came in and, after a short assessment, deemed that I could walk to the restroom and back with a wide cane and nurse. Despite the annoyance, and the absolute pain my right ankle, it was a much better reality than being bed bound with a bed pan. 

My mother was a little shaken when she came after Mulder relieved her from Henry duty, but as satisfied at my status and recovery path as she could be. She stayed with me through dinner and practically interrogated me about Mulder. Well, it at least felt like that since I was essentially trapped in a bed and couldn’t run far, far away from this embarrassing discussion. 

“So,” she had started, a twinkle in her eye barely making up for her worried creases on her forehead. “Fox has been awfully helpful the past few days. I practically had to drag him and his son out of here a few times before we worked out our little system.”

I sighed into my lukewarm oatmeal, the hospital’s main transition food back to solids after my rest. “Yes, he caught me up.”

She cleared her throat and sat up straighter, her hand on my left leg reassuringly. “Has, well. Did you get a chance to… speak with him before your attack? He seemed a little different than usual, about you, and I don’t just mean because of Henry.” She smiled knowingly at me. “Fatherhood suits him well, don’t you think?” 

I almost choked on my oatmeal at her tone, but managed to reply: “Yes, on both accounts.”

I didn’t usually share this type of stuff with my mom, I have always been private about my relationships, even to my family. But I had the distinct, warm feeling that this was it for me, forever, and I was almost comfortable enough with that to talk about it. 

I could tell she wanted to urge me to dish everything, but I knew she had to have some knowledge from Mulder the last few days, and I was waning fast that night anyway. 

The next few days were much the same, with the added and exciting activities of physical therapy and staying awake for most of the day. 

By Friday I was better by miles. I managed to stay awake the entirety of Mulder’s visit, and I was completely off the drip pain meds. I still had an IV for fluids but that was all. I was slowly getting used to walking with a cane, but with my right hand indisposed I felt bulky and odd every time I had to walk somewhere. 

Mulder followed my slow shuffle around the hospital floor, a hand hovering at my back in case my unsteadiness turned into something more than not being able to walk a straight line. 

“The tinnitus was gone this morning,” I told him in an awkward attempt to make conversation. It was a hard thing to do when stuck in the hospital. “And the physical therapist is coming in later today to talk about my shoulder and leg, what I can do at home.”

“Good,” he replied. He’d been doing that a lot, just reassuring me about everything I said. I knew this was an odd situation we were in—committed but to what, kissing but not consummated—and my hospital stay was only prolonging the process. “Does this mean you’ll be released soon?”

“Within the next few days if I’m lucky,” I said. “I, ah, will likely be staying at mom’s—you know. Just, with Henry and everything—”

“I get it, Scully,” he smiled down at me. “I wish I could have you both at home but I don’t think I could manage taking care of both of you without completely fucking up.”

“It’s not that I doubt your abilities, Mulder,” I replied wryly, “but even you need to sleep occasionally.”

We continued in silence for a moment, once again partaking in our newfound ability to just be close to one another. My slight anxiety about our new relationship was settling down more each moment we were together. The world wasn’t ending just because I finally made a move. We made it back to my room, one lap down, and settled in. My leg and shoulder were throbbing but it was a good ache today, a healing one.

“Have you heard anything from the bureau?” I asked. Skinner, by way of Mulder, had granted me indefinite leave for my injuries and for the limbo-state of the files. 

“I went over to see Skinner yesterday with Henry.”

“I bet he loved that,” I replied. 

“He did. Henry just sort of stares the Skinman’s shiny bald head, which I think is hilarious. Skinner is mildly offended I think, but it keeps Henry quiet. He does the same thing with balloons.”

I laughed and sighed. I missed Henry, but we both decided it was better for him to stay away from the hospital’s germs and diseases. 

“As of now, everything is still pending review, but Skinner said it looks good. That one new Deputy Director is firmly backing it after last weekend, and the rest of the board seems to agree. I think we’re finally going to have an established, permanent X Files unit at the FBI,” he said with beaming pride. 

He deserved it, too. I was proud of him, proud of us and everything we went through and endured and accomplished. To have this be out legacy at the bureau and, frankly, come out of it still alive and with a new start was something I thought impossible. But here we were. 

I told him as much and we both smiled at what we had done, his hand interlaced with mine as he perched on the bed next to me. 

\---

I was forced to stay in the hospital another two days after that, and then Mom took me to her home to recuperate. I tried my best to argue that I could take care of myself, even if it was empty and too-clean I missed my apartment and my autonomy almost more than anything. 

Mom’s house was still a relief from the stale white hospital. Homemade soup, sheets that smell like lavender and not bleach, the ability to sleep through the night and not be startled awake by nurses—I was looking forward to it like a normal person would to a vacation.

Realistically I knew it was much safer to have someone else around while I was still recovering. I wasn’t at risk of falling apart and I didn’t really need help to get around, but it was still difficult to get around and I was thankful, truly, for my mom. 

Mulder came over just a couple of hours after I got home, but I was asleep for the first half hour of his visit. Luckily, since he and my mother were so oddly close now, I came down from my room after my nap to find them sitting peacefully at the kitchen table taking turns feeding Henry.

“Hey, look who’s up!” said my mom, half in a baby-talk voice. 

Henry looked up and recognized me if the squeal he emitted had anything to do with it. It went straight into my bruised skull causing me to wince, but the smile I had covered it up immediately. God I missed this little boy. I wanted to pick him up and hold him close to me but it was impossible with my still healing body. 

Mulder met me halfway and gently engulfed me in a hug, rubbing his hand up and down my back over the fabric of my robe. I leaned into him, my hands resting low on his hips, just taking a moment with my forehead pressed against him as mom distracted Henry in the background. 

“How long have you been here?” I asked, reluctantly leaning back in his arms. 

He kissed my forehead and smoothed the hair from my face, and I was not surprised at his warmth and gentleness, it felt more like coming home. 

“Not long, we’ve just been discussing dinner. Grilled cheese and tomato soup sound good to you?”

“Mmm, perfect,” I replied. I took mom’s vacated seat so I could be close to Henry, sliding my cane underneath his seat. My arm was officially out of the sling but still weak, but I propped it on his tray so he could play with my hand, to his and my immense delight. 

“Henry boy! I missed you so much! You’ve grown up so much, haven’t you? Aren’t you a big boy now!” Mulder smiled at me across from him and I felt another intense, perfect moment—one where you’re completely aware of just how lucky you are to have what you have, and I couldn’t help but bask in the feeling. 

The mildly-floating sensation of my pain pills helped a little too, even though they were fast wearing off, I still felt out of it. 

Dinner was shortly served, and halfway through Mulder took Henry in to lay down in the guest room where my mother had set up Bill’s old crib and came back looking as content as I felt, now sitting next to me instead of two chairs down.

We all talked about Henry for ages, how smart he was and how much he looks like Mulder.

“You’re doing remarkably well for being such a sudden parent, Fox,” my mom commented. 

He ducked his head, perpetually unused to receiving any sort of compliment. “I’m trying my best for him.” 

“Mulder is an excellent father,” I said casually. “Henry loves him.”

“Oh of course he does! I told you that Fox was excellent father material, Dana.”

I hid my blush in my soup and Mulder choked on his bread, taking the comment a slightly different way than what my mom intended. On second thought, knowing my mother, she probably meant it to fluster us for fun. 

And suddenly the downside of temporarily living with my mother became incredibly clear. 

We cleaned up—well, Mulder and mom cleaned up after forcing me to stay put like an invalid as they washed up in the kitchen. Secretly, though, I was relieved. Coming home from the hospital and visiting for a few hours had drained me and all I wanted was to sleep for ten or so hours. 

“Listen, Fox,” my mother started. I perked up at the start of that sentence, wondering what she would say. “It’s late. Why don’t—”

“We’ll get out of here soon, Mrs. Scully, I just—”

“No, no not at all dear. I was just going to suggest that you spend the night if you’d like. Henry seems fine in Bill’s old crib, and I know you’ll just be back again tomorrow morning. You don’t need to be running back and forth at all hours of the night when you can just stay here. I’m assuming you brought extra things for Henry?”

I smiled at the thought of that, knowing my mother was intuitive enough to know Mulder would hound me until I was on my feet again. 

“I—yes. If you’re okay with it, Mrs—”

“It’s Maggie, dear, for the last time. Or mom.”

Mulder didn’t say anything for a minute, and I couldn’t see him from where I was sitting. 

“I would like to stay the night, yes.”

“Wonderful. You’re more than welcome to the guest room with Henry, but if you’d like to sleep in the same room as Dana I understand as well.”

Oh, wow. I hadn’t even thought of that, honestly. We hadn’t shared a bed before all of this happened. It’s not as if I didn’t want to sleep next to him, but I wasn’t going to be the most most attractive or fun bedmate. I didn’t even think I could cuddle properly. 

Mulder came out of the kitchen drying his hands on his pants and with red high on his cheeks.   
“Your, ah—”

“I heard,” I waited, seeing what he would do for a minute, but he just stood there awkwardly. I took pity on him. “You should stay. It is late.” He still looked concerned, likely hesitant about what his privileges were with me. He didn’t need to be. “I want you to.”

Quickly he leaned down and kissed my forehead, like he did it every day and I realized that he probably had for the last week, and darted out the door to grab his bag that was still habitually in the trunk of his car. 

Mom came out of the kitchen with a knowing look that I was quickly becoming tired of before making her way to bed, checking up on Henry as she went. 

“I, um, should I just-?” Mulder came back in panting from his run outside. 

“Yes, I’ll meet you up there,” I smiled and waved him on. He went to make sure Henry was settled and to change, and I lumbered up the stairs, my joints popping and swelling all the way. I took some more painkillers, thankful for them, and crawled back under the covers, even more thankful for the plush pillow top. 

Mulder appeared in the doorway within minutes, lit by the dim bedside lamp I left on. I was on my side and could see him hesitate just for a second, and visibly attempt to be okay with this as he strode toward me. He had changed into worn plaid pajama bottoms and his usual soft gray shirt. 

He paused at the side of the bed where I had already flipped down the sheet. “Do you need anything? Drugs?” 

“I’m all set.”

“Water? Pillows?” He looked around the room. 

“I’m fine, Mulder,” I half laughed, bracing my ribs with my arm as I did. “Just lay down. You’re not going to hurt me.”

He slid his almost too-long body in between the sheets and pulled them up over both of our shoulders, facing me as he did so. 

“Hi.”

“Hi Mulder.”

“We’re in bed together.”

“Astute observation.”

“At your mother’s house.”

“Again, astute.”

“I would suggest something more raunchy than sleep but this is not an ideal situation.”

“I agree.”

“But quite nice, if I do say so myself.”

He leaned into me with a smirk still on his face and sweetly kissed my lips. He lingered only for a moment before settling back into his own pillow on his back, and I again mourned my lack of health that I couldn’t follow his face with my own. 

The drugs I took started to kick in and I quickly sunk into a comfortable position, half clinging to the warmth of Mulder’s side, while keeping my weight on my ribs to steady them and sooth their ache, swaying gently with his steady breaths. I fell asleep to the thrumming of his heart and the comforting scent of pure Mulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guys! sorry it's been a hot minute since I updated--I'm actually on vacation rn in Vancouver, BC! I've even seen a few early series x files sites, including "Skyland" mountain (complete with the gondola that DD climbed on). We still have a few more chaps to go in this story, so let me know how you're liking it!


	12. Chapter 12

I woke up a few times in the night to Mulder sliding out of bed to take care of Henry, but just as easily fell back asleep thanks to the pain meds and the long week. It was nice, if a bit foreign, to have someone else in my bed at night just to sleep. I didn’t move around much at night to begin with, and I was hyper-conscious about my injuries so I barely moved this week, but just having the warmth and presence of Mulder next to me helped me relax. 

At seven am on Monday morning, I woke up to Mulder sitting next to me on the bed, leaning over my face and running his hand through my hair. 

“Morning,” he rumbled. 

“Mmmpfh” I replied, too comfortable to interact more fully. 

“It’s time for drugs and food, so you have to get up.”

I nodded and rolled onto my back with care, releasing a breath as I went. The weight of the comforter helped the surface pain but I could already feel deep cramps and bruises ready to make themselves known. 

I didn’t move for a while and Mulder leaned down further, kissing my forehead and cheek down to my mouth, giving me a closed mouth kiss to avoid our mutual morning breath. 

“Do you need help to get up?” 

I shook my head slightly. “Just give me a minute.” Even as I resigned myself to getting up I felt myself sinking back into the plush bed around me. Soon enough, my bladder began to protest and I delicately lurched myself upright. 

Mulder came around to my side of the bed and handed me my cane. It looked so short next to his frame that I almost laughed but smiled instead in deference to my healing ribs. 

“Thanks, I got it,” I said as I stood with the help of his arm. The deep ache made me stiff and I could feel it start to raise up into my skin as the pills from last night wore off. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen.” 

I dismissed Mulder’s hovering and shuffled to the ensuite bathroom as he went off to deal with Henry. That was exactly what I wanted to avoid by coming here instead of going with him—I can take care of myself for the most part. It wasn’t that I resented his care, but Henry needed to be his priority, my priority, if this was going to work at all. 

Once I used the toilet and washed my hands and face I took a look at myself in the mirror. I had yet to put back on my robe and the yellowed bruises on my arms and neck were almost glowing in the bathroom light. I couldn’t feel them any longer but they lingered too long, too visible on my pale skin. I knew it was worse underneath my sleep shirt and loose pants. 

Leaning against the counter, and putting my weight on my left side, I took stock of my body.

The symptoms from the concussion, the tinnitus, photosensitivity, dizziness, were almost completely gone. The shallow cut on the back of my head no longer itched but the skin around it felt tight so I didn’t bother combing my hair. Mom would have to help me with that later, hopefully after a very, very long bath. My shoulder ached but in a healing way, and as long as I didn’t strain it too much and kept up with the simple exercises the physical therapist taught me it would be fine. My ribs were tight and swollen against my spine, but again not as bad as it could have been if they had broken or punctured something. My hips hurt due to my unsteady gait from the past week, and my right leg felt useless and painful. My knee was swollen still, as was my ankle, and stiff from sleep. It would take a little while today to have them functioning but until then I’d be limping heavily even with the cane. 

Carefully I balanced my weight further to the left and stretched my right leg out, noticing my range of movement in my ankle being worse than last night due to overnight swelling, even though I had slept with the brace on. I can only imagine what caused these injuries in my leg. 

Maybe when I passed out the bastard that did this to me stepped on my knee and ankle, or maybe I twisted from under him during the parts I couldn’t remember well. I hadn’t had much trauma recovery mentally this week but that’s because I didn’t need it yet, if at all. I think my mind accepted that the attacker was caught and couldn’t harm me any longer, and part of my brain likely realizes that I’ve been through worse, so I was able to think about it objectively. I guess I should be thankful for that.

I also hadn’t been alone since, either. Mulder’s presence in my bed last night probably relaxed more than my body as I didn’t remember any dreams I might have had. 

I gathered my cane from the counter and paused in the bedroom to slip my robe on. Going downstairs was less painful but felt more treacherous as I carefully balanced one step at a time, but I made it to the table with no incident, water and toast waiting for me at my seat, and two little white pills which I gladly take with my water. 

Mom comes out of the kitchenette with a plate full of cheesy eggs that make my mouth water and I start shoveling them in before I say good morning. 

“Glad to see your appetite healthy Dana. Did you sleep well?”

I nodded through the eggs as Mulder came in with a dressed Henry and an empty bottle. I watched as Mom straightened up and held out her hands for Henry and Mulder smoothly passed him over as if they did it all the time. I guess they would have the last week or so. 

I wasn’t upset at missing their interactions per se, but I was at least happy to have skipped over any awkwardness at the beginning. Being in a short-term coma did have perks, I thought sarcastically.

“That was his last bottle,” started Mulder, sitting next to me and stealing a triangle of my toast. “And his clothes are officially all dirty, and he’s almost out of diapers.”

“So you’ll be off soon?” I ask him, half watching my mom bounce Henry in her lap and being a little jealous that I couldn’t do the same. Henry freely babbled to her, waiting for her to respond to each part of his nonsense. 

“Yep! We’re heading out soon, but your mother has, ah, said we could, if you’re okay with it—” He swallowed some coffee to cut off his own rambling. 

Mom finished for him. “I told him he’s welcome to stay here, isn’t that right Henry-bear? That way he doesn’t have to be running all over again now does he?”

Henry squealed and laughed at the new peek-a-boo antics of my mom and Mulder slipped his hand onto my left thigh. “That okay with you?”

“Of course, I’d love it,” I answered honestly. I was thrilled they’d be staying here too, and with my mom to help out we’d be okay under one roof. 

“We won’t tire you out too much, or cause a big mess,” Mulder continued to each of us. He couldn’t bring himself to just accept hospitality with us easily yet. 

“Of course not, dear. Besides, I love having Henry here and I’m sure so does Dana.”

I put my hand over his and gave it a squeeze and he returned the pressure, leaning into my personal space and kissing my head again. Mulder was more affectionate that I had thought before, more gentle, little gestures that I loved. They made me feel grounded, connected to him.

“Well we’ll be on our way then.” Mulder got up and circled the table again, lifting his son out of Mom’s lap and swinging him around in the way only his large frame could make look safe as Henry laughed in delight. I was so glad he was a happy baby, it’s everything Mulder deserved. 

“We’ll see you later. Wanna say bye-bye to Scully? Yeah?” Mulder came over and leaned Henry down into my face so I didn’t have to get up. I shook one of his little arms and kissed his face before Mulder straightened. “Bye-bye baby,” I smiled. 

It was all overwhelmingly domestic and I felt like a lifetime movie character for a half minute as Mulder left and I turned back to finish my juice. 

Mom was finishing up her meal as well but I could tell that she had more questions about whatever this was with Mulder. She surprised me when she instead asked if I wanted to have a bath. 

“More than almost anything, please.”

“No problem dear. I’ll clear up here and meet you in the main bath in a few to make sure you’re all set.”

I got up slightly less awkwardly than earlier this morning and stared at the staircase for a moment before starting the climb. I could only use my left leg to go up, positioning my right under me for each step up. It was slow and becoming intensely frustrating each time I had to do it, especially with juggling my cane, but I’d be up there for a few hours at least. Besides, there was nothing keeping me from a long soak.

Once up there I sat on the closed toilet lid and contemplated the easiest way to get in the tub. I let the water run until it was hot and made sure the soaps were close by as I took off my robe and pajamas, thankful that my clothing was either button up or very loose. My ankle brace was the last to go. 

Counting almost solely on the strength and stability of my left leg and arm, I clambered into the tub standing, and then began lowering myself down, only twinging my shoulder a little when I thought I would slip and had to catch myself as I sat down. I plugged the tub with my left foot, having figured it’d be easier to maneuver into a dry tub, and sunk back as the hot water began to rise over my aching everything.

Almost as an afterthought I remembered the bubbles and soon was encased in one of the most comforting baths I’ve ever had. 

Before I could completely bliss out, Mom tapped on the door gently and came in at my response. “I brought some extra towels and your other pair of pajamas. Is there anything else you need?”

“No, thanks mom.” I felt suddenly like I was on winter vacation from college, forced to go back home to no privacy and a hovering mother, but I tried to shake off the antsy feeling that brought up and sunk lower into the bath. Wine, mom, I wanted to add. I’d kill for a glass of wine.

Instead of leaving me in peace as I so desperately wanted, she gathered my dirty clothing despite my protests and then sat on the toilet facing me. Oh, here it comes. Whatever it may be. 

“Dana, do you intend on marrying that man?”

Suddenly I was glad to not have wine because I would have choked on it. “Mom! I-”

“Well, it can’t be such a surprising question,” she barreled on. “You’re both obviously in love and there’s a child involved—”

“He’s not my child—”

“He practically is, Dana, really. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how you look at him and Mulder, how you want to be able to take care of him and how you hate it that you can’t right now.”

So this was really happening. This conversation. Right now. She waited until I was literally trapped in a bath to corner me. Smart, evil woman. 

And it’s not that I didn’t want to tell my mom my feelings and hopes, I just have never been the type to gush. For god’s sake, it took me years to work up the courage just to confront Mulder!  
I sighed, breathing in the calming lavender scent from the bubbles covering me. The warm, relaxing bath mixed with the pain pills felt like I was half a bottle in, so I gave up any resistance and began talking. 

“I want to, mom. But we haven’t talked about it—we haven’t talked about much honestly other than the—the commitment stuff, but no specifics. I have no idea what he wants. I mean, I assume that I’ll move in with him and Henry but it’s all happening so fast already I—I think we just need some time to figure all of it out.”

I let that settle in the air for a bit, watching mom take it all in. 

“I love him, mom. I love Henry too, and I realize it’s not exactly conventional but any life with Mulder won’t be and I’m thankful for that. This isn’t a temporary thing, that for sure you can count on.”

With a huge smile, matching my own, my mom rose and put her hand over mine where it was resting on the rim of the tub. “I’m so happy for you Dana, you and Fox, and I’m so excited that our family is a little bigger with them in it. You make sure he knows that, okay? He doesn’t seem very comfortable with the notion sometimes.”

“He’s had a hard family life, that’s for sure. He just takes a little longer to trust, but I’ve told him you love him. I think he’s starting to really believe it but again, mom, we need time,” I said patiently but honestly. 

Mom left me to my bath and I was grateful, letting more hot water in to refresh the warmth. I must’ve soaked for close to an hour, riding the half-asleep wave above the lavender scented soap until I had enough. I let the bath fully drain before I repeated the reverse awkward dance of getting out of the tub and getting dressed again. 

I decided to nap, not having anything else to do at my mother’s besides TV or read, and the next thing I knew it was about three in the afternoon and Mulder was sitting in a chair across the room from me with his reading glasses on, going over some file in his lap. He looked like a dream, scruffy with three days of growth, rumbled sweater, a distinctly professor-like floof in his hair. I was overwhelmed with affection for him in that moment before he noticed I was awake. 

“Scully! Glad you’re up. Sleep good?” He took off the glasses, sadly, and closed the file in his lap.

I nodded and stretched under the blankets, taking care not to stretch too much. 

“We’ve been back for a little bit, Henry is downstairs with your mom. Skinner sent this over to my house,” he said holding up the file in his hands. “It’s a preliminary report on our plans from midlevel, comments and stuff. I need to go in later this week and give them a flashy presentation before they’ll approve of everything and we can get started.”

“When are you going in?” While he was talking I managed to sit up and lean against the headboard, happy that the effects of the bath hadn’t worn off yet. 

“Wednesday, I think, or Thursday. The 13th, whatever day that is,” he replied noncommittally. 

I had a sudden thought—it was October, that would be his birthday. His first birthday as a father, the first one while we’re in a—a relationship of sorts. And I had planned nothing. Not that we had done much in years previous, but there was always some sort of acknowledgement—a cupcake or a goofy card I found with a UFO on it. Once, dinner. Another year, I allowed him to take me to some horrendous movie that I laughed at more than was appropriate. 

“Earth to Scully, come in Scully. You okay?”

“Yeah,” I replied still distracted. “Yeah, just had a thought. How long do you think you’ll stay here?”

It must’ve come out a little fast because for a split second he looked hurt, or taken aback at the question. 

“I packed for the rest of the week to be on the safe side, but I mean—”

I cut him off. “Mulder. We’ve got to stop doing this.”

“Um,” he replied. 

“Come over here,” I scooted over to make some room for him. “Sit.” He did as he was told. “That was just a question. I don’t want you to leave—I told you this morning that I wanted you to stay, and yesterday too.”

He nodded, but his head was hanging down still. 

“Hey,” I said playfully. “Come here.” I drug him in for a sweet kiss that lingered longer and longer as we pulsed our mouths against each other, not wanting it to end but unable to escalate much. “I love you, I want you around me, and if I ever want you to leave me alone or give me some space you will know it, okay? I’m not going to play games with you.”

He smiled at me genuinely after that, his head still close to mine. “Sorry. It takes some adjusting, ya know?”

“What does?”

“Being loved like this.”

I brought his forehead to mine and we took the moment. “I’m sorry that you’re unused to it, Mulder, but you can trust this, whatever it is.”

“We haven’t exactly had an opportune moment to define that either,” he added, sitting up but keeping his hands entwined with mine. 

“No we haven’t,” I agreed. “What I said last week was all true. I told you what I want, and I’m pretty sure you agreeable to the plan, yeah?”

“What, that you wanted to be a part of my family? Hell, Scully, you’re the only family I’ve got, have been for years. I just never thought, especially after Henry showed up, that you’d want to be, ya know, with me like this.” He tugged on my hands a little. 

“I love you, Mulder, and I love Henry because he is a part of you and because he is a wonderful kid. Him showing up changed almost everything in our lives but I think for the better, Mulder, truly.” I took a breath, realizing that I’ve already poured my heart out to this man more than once so I might as well take the whole plunge so he had the right picture on what I was really expecting. “I want to live with you, I want to be with you, I want to help raise your son—”

“I want him to be your son too, Scully,” he rasped, his knuckles sweeping against my cheek. “I want you to be there for him, as a mom, and I couldn’t think of a single person I’d rather have to help raise him. He loves you so much, I love you so much, Scully.”

I gasped at his admission, immediate tears coming to my eyes at the implication, smiling widely. 

“He lights up when you’re in the room, just like his father,” he continued, wiping my tears away. “He has tried to get into your arms more times this past week than I could count, and I can tell he misses you too. God, Scully,” he stopped, and we were both overwhelmed at the raw emotion we were experiencing after years, years and years of pain and uncertainty, we were a family and we loved each other and nothing was more important or powerful than that. 

I gathered myself after a minute indulging in Mulder’s embrace. “Are we clear now?” I asked with a little laugh. 

“I think so, Scully. I mean, there are logistics to work out, timing, moving, making sure you’re healed—”

“Mulder?”

“Yeah?”

“Shut up. And bring me Henry. I miss him.”

Mulder smiled and left my room to get his son so I could play with him again. I longed to be able to pick him up and take care of him—soon. Right now I could just bask in the happiness, in the love, of Mulder and Henry as I recovered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ta-da, I present to you, all the fluff in the world! and wow this is getting to be a long story! and I still have a few chapters left to go!! let me know if there's anything you'd like to see, or just drop a comment for fun! thanks for reading everyone!


	13. Chapter 13

I lay in bed with Henry for a while as he rolled around and had fun. He had been holding on to his favorite bright orange octopus and we entertained ourselves for quite a while as Mulder finished going through the files in the chair across from us. I swear every time Henry laughed I felt a little more healed, a little stronger. The longer I spent in his presence, the stronger the bond between us felt, and I couldn’t get enough of it.

He was at the age where he continually babbled, sometimes putting the right sounds together by chance and making something that sounded like a word. I knew from my friend’s children and Matthew that real words wouldn’t come for another few months, as Henry was just now 7 and a half months old. 

At this stage of Henry’s life, he is able to differentiate between some sounds and words—things like the difference between mommy and daddy. He knows his name, or at least responds to it, and I try to use it in a direct manner so he can recognize it, and other words too. 

“I know, I know big boy, Henry darling. You like your octopus don’t you? Mulder, does the octopus have a name?”

“Ba!” said Henry, shaking the plush toy in his hand. I helped him stand on the bed for a few moments as he bounced up and down before his attention went back to the toy.

“Should it have a name?” he asked, amused. 

I look up at him. “Of course it should have a name! Did your childhood toy have a name? I had a stuffed bear named Herman I carried around until I was almost ten. I think my mom still has it somewhere in a box.”

“Um, I don’t really know. I might have had a stuffed… monkey? Or maybe it was a bear. I don’t really remember if it had a name or anything. I think Sam had a stuffed something she was attached to. Oh yeah,” he inhaled. “It was a fox. I remember because she used to say that she had two brother foxes. His name was Jeffrey.” 

“Ah bababababa! Ot!” added Henry as he sat up and tugged at the sheet on my knees. He made a little game out of falling backwards and pulling himself up on the sheets over and over. 

I smiled at the sweet story about Samantha. So much of Mulder’s past is painful, especially with his family, and most of his good memories were related to her. I was so relieved, as much as I was heartbroken, when her story was finally resolved in Mulder’s eyes. It was a much-needed closure, and I can tell that he has healed so much since then. Even things as simple as a memory like this was easier for him to share now. 

“Well we’ll just have to think of a good octopus name.” I replied, turning my attention back to Henry, who was now extremely interested in his feet. 

“Octavius,” said Mulder. 

“That’s a little too regal, I think. He’s bright orange for god’s sake.”

“I feel like it should be an O name at least, it’s thematic. Oliver? Oliver the orange octopus?” he contemplated.

I loved that we were talking seriously about a topic like this, it was almost surreal but so very us. This was also coming from the man who wanted to name the faceless unexplained cryptids we’d occasionally run into, as some misplaced form of affection. 

“Henry,” I waited for him to look at me in recognition of his name. “What do you think? Do you like Oliver?” I shook the toy above him. “Oliver the orange octopus? Ollie?”

“Ol! Ol!” he said enthusiastically.

“I think we have a winner,” I commented. 

Mulder laughed and I joined in, and Henry did too, fully reveling in the moment. I continued playing with Henry as we both lay on the bed until he started to become fussy. Mulder went to prepare a bottle for him and I gently hauled him up to the headboard so I could hold him without putting too much strain on everything. 

Mulder came in with my pill bottle and a bottle of water and made me take them before handing me Henry’s bottle. He sat on the edge of the bed with his hand on my thigh, rubbing back and forth and just watching me and Henry with a smile on his face. 

He cleared his throat. “When do you think you want to move in with me?” he asked. 

I jumped slightly at the sudden question, not having an actual answer. “Um, well, I don’t really know.”

“It doesn’t have to be right away,” he said quickly. “I know that we’ve got a lot to figure out with work and you healing and stuff.” 

He didn’t look panicked like he had earlier and it was reassuring in several ways that he was starting to trust this, trust us. “I’ll need to find someone to take over my lease, and sort through all my stuff. I’m sure I’ll have a lot to get rid of and there’s also a lot to move—furniture and things that we’ll have to decide on.” I thought for a minute, watching Henry finish his bottle. “I also think it will be good for us to spend time together, a trial run of living together, for a little bit, while we still have our own spaces to retreat to if needed. A transition.”

Mulder was silent, mulling it over. He finally nodded in agreement, content in keeping his hand on my leg and looking softly at his son in my arms. Our son? Was it too soon to be thinking that way—was I being too confident? A question for later.

Just as I was making sure Henry’s dinner would stay down, Mulder’s phone rang.

“Mulder,”he answered.

A pause. All I could make out was what sounded like a male voice on the other side of the conversation. 

“Did you check under the sink? That’s where I keep the extra food—no? Uh, maybe on the bookshelf? Yeah, that one. Yeah? Good. Thanks, Hicky.” He hung up the phone and turned back to me. “I enlisted the Gunmen in the heroic and important task of feeding my fish while I’m here. They managed to keep them alive last week, plus I think Frohike is becoming attached.”

I laughed at the absurd image in my head of the Gunmen raiding Mulder’s house and taking the fish for themselves. Well, knowing them, maybe not so absurd. “Hey, I think this guy is getting sleepy,” I said. Henry was starting to lean a little heavily into me, a little too much on my ribs and I hissed when he pushed on my knee. 

Thankfully Mulder swooped in and got him, kissing his head and rocking him back and forth as he stood up. “I’ll go put him down—want some lunch? I can bring something up.”

“Don’t bother, I’ll meet you down there in a few.” Mulder left with Henry and I felt a pang at being useless to him again, barely able to hold him without pain. It was frustration more than sadness—I just wanted to get on with everything and be a happy little family. I supposed even this forced waiting period was good in its own right, as an adjustment. Hopefully within a few days it would be manageable enough to help and be independent again.

Mom came in to the room before I even got out of bed, she must’ve passed Mulder and Henry in the hall. 

“Dana, glad you’re up. Do you want a late lunch, or early dinner?”

“I was just about to head down, mom.” I started the process of supporting my body enough to get it to move without pulling on anything too roughly. 

Mom was hovering next to me with my cane, waiting to steady me if I need it. I stood up and stretched a little, loosening up my swollen joints form laying down.

We go down to the kitchen, Mom hovering over me in case I lose my balance, but really she shouldn’t worry. I am getting stronger every day, and I’d only need the cane for another day or two at the most. 

Mulder was still in with Henry by the time we get downstairs, and I heard his voice filtering into the hall talking about something to do with space, likely making up a bedtime story for him. 

“Hey,” I lower my voice as mom starts to get the food prepared. “I need to ask you something.”

“What is it? Is something wrong?”

“No, I’m fine, really. Better than I really expected at this point.” I leaned against the counter to let the pressure off of my bad leg.

“Well you’re probably the most resilient Scully in the family, so I’m not surprised,” she smiled. 

I chuckled a little, remember all the times my brothers were sick with a cold and acted like they were on death’s door, or how Melissa would blow a papercut entirely out of proportion to get attention. “Yeah. Well this week,” I lowered my voice again, “is Mulder’s birthday. The 13th. He has to go in to work for a few hours and I thought we could surprise him with something? Maybe a nice dinner, a cake, that kind of stuff?”

Mom brightened up at the prospect. I imagine she doesn’t get to do this sort of thing very often. “I think I have mix here, or I can go get his favorite kind? Oh! And ice cream of course, and something sweet for Henry. We have until Thursday evening so I’m sure we’ll figure something out.”

“Nothing big, mom, don’t go crazy. I have a few ideas, actually. We can talk about them later. I just need you to go to the store and set some things up.”

Mom nodded and fell silent when she saw Mulder exit Henry’s temporary room to join us in the kitchen. 

\---

I had had an almost uncontrollable urge to throw the stupid cane through the second-floor window multiple times for the last few days, but I managed to be patient and diligent and instead tossed it under the bed on Wednesday when I decided I didn’t want to use it anymore. 

I didn’t really need it. I’d been practicing for the past few days between my bed and the bathroom, with Mulder looking on and hovering almost as much as my mother, and sometimes with both of them and Henry all watching me in a small room as I make my way to the toilet—needless to say, I was tired of the constant supervision. 

Cane gone, life seemed better. I still had the brace on my ankle, and I would for another week or maybe two, but it was mainly just providing stability as my ankle healed completely. My shoulder was still stiff, but had almost the full range of motion back without pain. The week was looking up, which was saying something about the rollercoaster nature of the past month or so. Even thinking about it had my head spinning—worried about Mulder, elated and surprised about Henry, a week of limbo and falling harder for my best friend, and finally resolving the tension that had been between us for years. 

And then I get attacked on what should have been a routine operation. 

Part of me is still pissed off at the ops team that didn’t catch the guy before he got into the house, that fucked up the monitoring and allowed all this to happen. Another, bigger part of me was just strangely relieved. This was my last case, but I wouldn’t count it as such—my last real case was one Mulder and I worked on together, not some botched stake out that landed me in the hospital again. 

Anyway, the week got better as my mobility increased and my pain diminished. Mulder had to prepare for the presentation on Wednesday as well, and I was well enough to help Mom with looking after Henry for the half day he was out. It also provided enough time for us to plan some things for Mulder’s birthday, and we made a shopping list for later when Mulder was back and mom could slip out, which she did successfully last night. 

That was another great thing about this week, about today: for the first time in a week and a half I finally had a plan to do something other than be stuck in a hospital room or basically confined to my mother’s guest room and the bathtub. It was only icing on the cake that I got to surprise Mulder with it too.

Mulder had been gone two hours already, and was expected to be gone another two at the least. He’d left early to get his nice suit from his house and then gone in to prepare. I was disappointed I couldn’t go with him, even just to attend the meeting that would basically ensure the permanent existence of the x files in the bureau as our lasting legacy for our life’s work. 

Ok, I was also a little anxious. 

It’s not that I didn’t trust Mulder, I do with my life, but historically he hasn’t been the most tactful person in presentations and conferences. We ran through the presentation a few times this week with mom and Henry serving as additional audience members, and both of them seemed suitably impressed with his composure and funny faces, respectfully.

But I was also a little worried at how a panel of people, most of whom knew and interacted with Mulder in less than ideal times in our professional lives, will receive the proposal. So, instead of sitting in the bed fretting the whole afternoon, I managed to take a bath on my own, put on real clothing (sans bra because my ribs were still tender) and pull my own weight in taking care of Henry for most of the afternoon, since I was finally able to walk unassisted and lift him again, even if my gait was stilted when he was in my arms for stability. 

Mulder called me right after the meeting was over and he sounded good, not like everything went horribly wrong and our reputation was gone forever. 

Whoa, deep breath. Being cooped up was starting to get to my head and I vowed to get out tomorrow. 

We had at least 45 minutes before Mulder would be back and we set about putting the final touches on the simple decorations (only a little over the top) that mom picked up last night. 

Blue and white crepe streamers looped across the dining room and kitchen entrances, and matching balloons were tied to the chair backs and Henry’s walker, which he joyfully tried to follow around the room as he scooted. God, so soon he’ll be walking and running and talking, I was so excited to watch him grow. 

Two small presents adorned the table alongside a chocolate-frosted chocolate cake with one candle in the middle, ready to be lit. Homemade pepperoni pizza was warming in the oven, and a TV marathon of the Twilight Zone was playing lowly in the living room—practically all of his favorite things in one. 

I put the brakes on Henry’s little walker and sat in a chair next to him as we both explored the different toys attached to the new toy. Somehow, Mulder found one that was space-themed. 

Just and Henry and I were going over the finer points of the solar system runners, Mulder walked in the front door quietly, a new habit in case Henry was sleeping. Mom came in to the room from the kitchen as soon as Mulder found us, walking in and accidently hitting a streamer with his head. 

Startled, he looked up confused, then looked around the room and noticed everything. 

“Surprise!” I said in a normal tone of voice lest Henry takes the volume wrongly. 

Mulder was adorably stunned, still moving his eyes back and forth. “Oh yeah, it’s my birthday.”

“It sure is,” I replied with a wry smile at his surprise.

“Pizza’s almost ready, Fox, why don’t you get cleaned up.” Mom walked over to him and gave him a half-hug that brought him out of his latent shock. “Happy birthday, dear.”

“Thank you, wow, I just—I didn’t expect anything. I actually sort of forgot.” 

“Well you’ve been pretty busy recently,” I replied. I let Henry roam freely again and rose up to embrace him. “Happy birthday Mulder. I thought it’d be nice to have a dinner this year, at least.

Mulder smiled down at me and gave me a long kiss that had me feeling dangerously weak in the knees in my current condition, but I was just as satisfied that it wasn’t agonizing to put my arms around his neck, even though I still couldn’t quite rise up on my tip toes. 

“Thank you, this is perfect, really,” he said with a huge smile. He was radiating surprise and happiness and I loved him that way. He should be like this all the time. He chased down his son and picked him up out of the walker to swing him around in greeting before strapping him in to his high chair.

Before long we all sat at the table and had pizza and babbled back to Henry and Mulder opened his presents. One was a surprise from me, a new framed picture of Henry and his Orange Octopus named Ollie, giving the happiest smile I’ve seen. I took it yesterday when Mulder was out, and Mom had it developed before she left the store, along with a few other candid photos, including a couple with me in them that I left in the envelope to put in an album someday. 

“Thank you, it’s perfect,” he gushed quietly, probably a little more responsive for my mother’s sake, who was looking on excitedly from across the table. He just gave me a look and I understood what it meant to him, no words needed, not after everything we’d been through. 

His other present was two smart looking sweaters from my mother, one in dark green and the other a deep burgundy, complete with professor-style elbow pads, that earned her a grateful hug. 

Mom quickly lit the singular candle for Mulder to blow out, to Henry’s fascination, and luckily we skipped the singing of the birthday song—none of my family are good singers.

Mom started to cut the cake as Mulder changed out the dirty plates for clean ones, and Henry got my attention by making some “get me out of this chair” noises, the ones that usually come just before all-out crying. I decided to wield my new strength and carefully picked him up from his high chair and went to the living room where he had a play mat in view of the dining room. 

Henry was much happier on the ground, reunited with his octopus, and I gratefully sat down on the floor with him, starting my routine of ankle stretches and knee bends. Mulder reappeared in the dining room with plates and mom started serving. 

“Want a slice, Scully?” he leered from across the room. 

“I’m fine right now, maybe later,” I replied, focusing on Henry’s movements. He sort of flung the octopus a little to the side of him and was trying in vain to reach it, but didn’t seem distressed. More determined than anything else. 

Mulder started eating at the table, making small talk with my mom, and I kept an eye on Henry, sensing something was going to happen. Just as I thought that, he turned on his belly toward Ollie and then got his knees under him and began rocking, as he had for the last few days, a precursor to crawling. 

“Mulder,” I called. 

“Hmm?” he answered through a mouthful of cake. 

“Mulder,” I kept my voice calm lest I break Henry’s concentration, “you better get in here, quietly.”

Henry was rocking still, getting his hands involved with going up and down, and I could tell he was about to go for it. 

Mulder appeared next to me, gently sitting down out of Henry’s eye line and asking what was going on. Mom was standing in the doorway between the rooms, looking excited. 

“He’s going to go for it,” I told him. “Ollie.”

Mulder looked confused and then excited as he put it all together. “Hell yeah, get him, Henry!”

Henry squealed and he moved a knee, and then another, and he was crawling! He gave up after the foot and a half distance between him and Ollie closed and rolled over with his stuffed friend in his grasp. I clasped my hands in front of me and Mulder gasped, mom smiled in the corner and silently took some pictures of the moment on her phone, as she sent me later. 

“Our son can crawl!” Mulder hugged my shoulders and smiled in delight. “He’s mobile! Oh god, he’s mobile now, he’s going to tear down the house.” He sounded a little shocked, but still excited. 

Our son. Our son can crawl. Before I felt it coming on I burst into tears, hugging the arm Mulder had around my front, overwhelmed with happiness. Mulder kissed my temple and l leaned into him, stretching my leg out further for comfort. 

We sat there, watching Henry play with his toy and occasionally look at us, smiling and laughing at his new trick of moving. Mulder readjusted himself, wrapping his long limbs around my body and leaning back on the couch behind us. 

“Best birthday ever,” he murmured into my hair. 

I couldn’t help but agree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm updating as fast as I can, but grad school is kicking my ass! Let me know how you liked it! I love you all for reading and commenting!!!


	14. Chapter 14

Within a few days I was determined to go home. I appreciated my mom for helping out, and Mulder for always being around, but I could tell they all were getting antsy to have their own space again, or maybe I was projecting. 

Okay, I was definitely projecting.

I knew at least Mulder wanted to get home and settle in with Henry again, to see him crawl around in his own room and house. I managed to kick him and Henry out of mom’s house the day after his birthday, and since then he’d been insufferable about calling me all the time. I love him, but I needed a little bit of breathing room—him and Henry were fine but add in my mom and her house with the circumstances for an extended time and things were getting frustrating, to say the least. The more I healed, the more…physical we tended to get, and it was already impossible with a baby but add in a mother that had the worst possible timing… it was becoming unfortunate. 

The night of his birthday was rough enough. We were thrilled with Henry’s new achievement of crawling and once we all settled down for bed we had some extra energy, to say the least. He curled around me in bed that night, no longer as careful but by no means roughly, and kissed me with a passion that left me floating. His tongue invaded my mouth before I even knew what was happening and brought my leg to hook around his hip, and then his hand slipped up under my shirt and we were grinding like teenagers. I had to pull away and stop him before we did something unforgivable under my mother’s roof, of all places. 

Well, I pulled away eventually, anyway. 

That display and disappointment for both of us made it a little easier for him to leave the next day. The tension between us was just getting out of control, and I didn’t want to be trapped and frustrated when I could at least anticipate our reunion.

I was probably two days past being able to go home when my mother allowed me to leave without a huge guilt trip involved, and she finally deigned to drive me to my apartment with all my things. I managed to shoo her away quickly, pointing out that I didn’t need any help to get into my apartment from the car and that I was fully capable of functioning, and finally, I was alone. 

Almost guiltily, I relished in the quiet for a few hours, laying on my own couch and not moving a finger. Two weeks of non-stop company and intrusion and help after living alone for more years than I like to consider was a rough adjustment. I think it was mainly exasperated with my fatigue and pain and helplessness for half of it.

But after a few hours of silence and stillness, I started to ache for Henry and Mulder again. I took that as a good sign for our new family, that I didn’t want to be away from them. I just needed an afternoon to regroup and sort of take back my bodily agency without having people hover over me like I was stuck in a hospital bed. 

My apartment was still clean, and I went around and watered the few plants I had managed to keep alive recently. I took a few minutes to sit down and pay some bills online and threw out some gross food from the fridge and tossed the garbage down the hallway shoot. My bedroom was a little messier, a few clothing items strewn about that mom didn’t end up packing for me. She had placed my suitcase of cleaned clothes from this week on the bed as well before I practically kicked her out, and I started to reorganize everything. 

I knew I wasn’t staying there overnight, not alone, not when I didn’t have to and had an infinitely better option waiting for me across town. 

I debated for a while about whether or not to take a bath, but if I played my cards right I knew I could take a bath at Mulder’s—and I had spied a very large claw foot bathtub in the master bath the last time I was over—so I took a quick shower, shaved my legs which were getting a little out of control, and even gently washed my hair. Moving freely without too much pain was still novel to my healing body, but it felt even better under the warm spray.

Feeling refreshed, I repacked my suitcase with about a week’s supply of clothing and toiletries and called a cab. I wish I could drive myself but my ankle was still too weak for reliably pushing pedals in a two-ton killing machine, plus I was exhausted from just the simple tasks I had just done.

The cabbie was a quiet one, thank god, only playing some low classical music, and he’d get tipped for it too. It also gave me more time to think, which, honestly, I was almost sick of doing after the past month of life-changing I’ve had to go through. This time was a little more positive—anxious almost. A good anxious. I was headed to Mulder’s house and it felt like I was going home. 

Mulder had been my home for longer than I would probably admit aloud. In my mind he had always been that safe place in my head and now that feeling was contained under the same roof at a baby boy we were going to raise together. God, what was I thinking? The sooner I could move in the better. 

The weariness of movement and freedom had begun to sink into me again halfway through the ride and I was looking forward to sleeping next to him in his surprisingly comfortable bed. It was a step up from his old couch at the least. The next thing I knew, I was dropped off in front of Mulder’s house and standing on his porch again, contemplating whether or not to ring the doorbell. The living room light was on, but he still hadn’t given me a key, and I didn’t want to disturb Henry if he was asleep. It was getting late and he could be down for the night by now.

Instead I got out my phone and called him from the porch, feeling only a little foolish for not knocking. 

“Hey Scully, how’s your apartment?” he answered quietly, confirming my suspicions. 

“Empty,” I said. “I’m outside, let me in.” 

He paused for a second and hung up, and a moment later let me in. 

“I didn’t know you were coming over—I thought you wanted some space?” 

“I’d much rather be here,” I smiled. Mulder took my bags and set them aside and led me in to the couch where we both sat down. It was comforting to not have to carefully judge the distance between us like I felt we had to as friends, and instead I leaned into him automatically, my head taking up the spot I have claimed on his shoulder. It was almost a reflex that he put his arm around me and kissed my temple. 

“I’m glad you’re here too.”

“Henry down?” 

“Yeah, the whole crawling thing really takes it out of him these days. Takes it out of me too,” he mumbled. 

I felt his whole body become heavier, becoming a welcoming weight on my frame, releasing whatever inherent parenting tension it had been holding on to for the past however many hours or days. 

“You need sleep. So do I.” 

He grumbled a bit, and I had to laugh at his reply. “We’re finally alone. Wanna do more than just sleep,” he whined. 

“Me too, Mulder, but let’s get some rest first yeah? Sleep while the baby’s sleeping?”

“Mmrumph,” replied Mulder, and with a great heave and lurch he was standing again, eyes half open, swaying slightly on his feet, reaching down to help me up. 

I took his hand but didn’t tug on him, half afraid he’s come crashing down on top of me. 

He zombie-walked to the bedroom and I followed at a distance, making sure the door was locked and the lights were off and the fish fed. I deposited my suitcase in the bedroom and half-watched Mulder tug off his shirt and sweatpants and flop onto the bed in just boxers. I grabbed a change of clothes and quietly tip-toed to the bathroom. I was right, there was a huge claw foot tub in there, even if it was a godawful green color. I entertained notions of it fitting both Mulder and I and resolved to test out my theories as soon as possible. 

Feeling the exhaustion hit me full force, and thankful of not putting on makeup before I came over, I changed into pajamas and snuck out under the cover of Mulder’s low snores to check on Henry. 

He was sleeping in the same position Mulder was currently in, sprawled on his tummy with Ollie watching on from the corner of the crib. He looked deep in sleep so I risked a gentle touch on his back, rubbing up and down his spine and feeling him take his tiny, even breaths. The mobile was gently turning above our heads, making odd but comforting shadows cast by the two nightlights in the room. 

It was so quiet I could almost make out Mulder’s gentle snoring through the open doors. I could’ve stayed there for hours, just stroking his back and watching him dream, but I managed to break away and slip into bed with Mulder, almost instantly falling asleep with him.

\- - -

I woke up to an empty bed and a shrill telephone right next to my ear. I answered without thinking, just as the past decade of FBI work had taught me. 

“Scully.”

Silence, then. “Scully? I must have misdialed—I’m trying to reach Mulder. How are you recovering?” Skinner. Oops.

I blushed, realizing that it was Mulder’s cell phone that had rung and I answered it unthinkingly. 

“You got the right number, sir, I just accidently answered.” I turned my head—it was barely eight am on a Monday. This didn’t make the best impression, but I had a feeling that Skinner wouldn’t make a fuss. “I’m doing much better. I can get Mulder, just give me a minute.” 

He cleared his throat and I winced at the awkwardness, but quickly got over it, trying to get my stiff muscles to function and slipping on my ankle brace with one hand. Besides, it wasn’t like this was against the rules any longer. 

“I’m, ah, glad to hear that, Scully. All of it. Well, I guess you can tell Mulder the news—it’s about the evals on your proposal.”

I stopped in my tracks, halfway down the hall with my hand on the wall to support my bad leg, on my way to where I thought Mulder would be in the kitchen. The presentation was only a few days ago—they must have completed their decision this weekend.

“What’s the news, sir?”

“As of right now, your proposal for the expansion and permanent establishment of the x files unit has full approval from the board.”

I let out a completely unprofessional noise at that, the likes of which some would categorize as a girlish squeal—nonetheless it had Mulder appearing in front of me faster than I could imagine, baby food dripping from the spoon in his hand.

“What is it what’s wrong are you alright?” He took a breath and looked me over, visibly relaxing at the sight of me standing and smiling, and I held out the phone to him. 

“Mulder,” he said. A pause. “Oh yeah?” Another one as Skinner told him the news.

I couldn’t stop smiling—I mean I thought it would all work out and we could build something permanent at the Bureau but there was a small part of me, skeptical as always, who expected to be laughed right out of the FBI. 

Mulder’s face lit up. If I could start bouncing without seriously re-injuring myself I would, but instead I just grabbed his arm in excitement as he finished up the conversation, dripping spoon still in hand. 

He hung up and immediately pulled me toward him in a firm hug. It went on for a while, both of us basking a little. 

“Well then,” he said, straightening up.

“So, what else did he say?” I took the spoon from him, hoping he didn’t get any food on me, and turned him down the hall so we could rejoin our son for breakfast. 

“Well we can pick up files on potential recruits later today from Skinner and we can start interviews as early as the end of the week. They’re keeping the department in the basement, of course, but moving stuff around next week or the week after to allow room for—and get this—four desks.”

“I’ve told you we could fit more than one down there,” I said, half-joking with him and half-serious.

“But—four people working for the x files! That’s a tiny department—and they can cover twice as many cases and, god. This was more than I could have hoped for, Scully, really. I can’t believe it.”

I sat in front of Henry, who was thankfully not too upset at Mulder’s abrupt abandonment earlier, and started to feed him again. Mushed carrots. Yum. 

Mulder started to pace. “We’ve got so much we can do, now. I’ll swing by the bureau after lunch, unless you want to go too, and we can look through the files. It’s important to get the right mix of people, we know that. At least there won’t be any Krycek-likes this time. They can’t be too skeptical either, no offense, or too hyped up about aliens and ghosts that they think every little thing could be a new x file-”

“Mulder, stop for a second and remember to breathe, alright? We’ve got time here,” I interjected in what I hoped was a calm tone. 

“I doubt we’ll have that many people to choose from anyway,” he said, finally taking a seat. Then he immediately got up again and started to make coffee which, bless him, I was beginning to need. 

“Who knows, Mulder, we could have heaps of agents wanting in on our success after last year.”

“Or we could get all duds.”

“Then we’ll just have to find the best and poach them from other departments.”

“Fine.” He started the percolator and leaned against the counter, visibly overwhelmed. “I feel like I’m handing my first-born off to a stranger with nothing more than a ‘good luck’” he sighed. 

I smirked secretly at his dramatics. “Well, we’ll still have some control. We have no idea the kind of pool we’ll get for recruits, and your first-born,” I paused to scoop some orange goo off of Henry’s face, “is darling, if a little messy.” 

Mulder let out a breath and tried to relax again. I could see the signs of him making an effort to pump the brakes on whatever insane path his mind was going down. “Okay.” He turned in place, judging the coffee, and then poured us both a cup while I cleaned henry up. “Okay, okay. Yes. This is all good.” I didn’t interrupt him. “Good.” He handed me coffee, kissed my head, kissed Henry’s head and nearly missed getting carrot in his own hair, and sat down across from us. “Alright.”

I sensed he was done and started drinking coffee, letting him have a minute to do the same as Henry contemplated some breakfast puffs in front of him. He wasn’t quite to the point of eating them yet, but he’d pick one up and slobber on it for a while so I think he was getting the idea. 

“What’s on the agenda for today, then?”

“Um,” he sat down his now empty cup. “The usual, I guess. I normally just follow around Henry all day and take care of him, and when he’s sleeping I’ll nap or work on an article or catch up with the guys.”

“Sounds nice.”

“And I guess since you’re here now we can divide and conquer. Are you staying for a while? I vaguely remember luggage last night before I passed out—and sorry about that.”

I waved him off. “Yes, I packed enough for a week, and listen, I’ve been thinking—”

“I’ve got your key,” he interrupted me. “I got it earlier this week but left it here on accident. And I’ve been making room for your stuff. And we can figure out on furniture stuff, like if you like your dining room set more we can change them out. And I filed for your car to have a permit to park in the neighborhood, but until then you’ll have to park in the drive with mine, or I guess I can park on the street sometimes. And we’ll need to get another babyseat.”

I gave him a look and he stopped the tangent.

“Um. What were you thinking?”

“Thank you, Mulder, for all of that. We can figure it out later—we’ve got time. I was thinking that I should move in earlier, like, as soon as we can get more of my stuff. I don’t want to go back to my apartment longer than it takes to get a change of clothes and water the plants so, I thought we could, this week, move in my essentials, and then just start making trips for things until I find someone to take over my lease.”

“What happened to having a transition period?” he looked curious, not upset. 

I huffed out a laugh. “Screw transition, Mulder. I’m in, I don’t want to leave you two alone just to mope in my empty apartment. If I need space, and vice versa, let’s just tell each other.”

Mulder smiled, we’d both been doing a lot of that recently, and nodded. 

Henry, in the way only babies can, had gotten the crisp, slobber, and the remaining bits of carrots all over him and his pajamas. “Ha-bua!!” he exclaimed, throwing the biggest chunk of food somewhere across the room. 

“But first,” I started. 

“A bath,” we both finished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey everyone! thanks for your patience - now that the semester is over expect more regular updates on this one!  
> please leave kudos or a comment - they're always appreciated!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a little warning: rating bump for this chapter!

A freshly bathed baby was a thing of beauty. A sweet-scented angel. A sleepy ball of fluff and cuddles that smelled like sunshine. 

Actually bathing the baby, however, was a mess. There wasn’t an inch left on me, Mulder, or the bathroom that wasn’t wet with Henry’s splashing. We both had to change clothes after getting him settled, albeit not at the same time, and by the time we were all dry it was time for our lunch and Henry’s mid-day nap. 

I decided to gingerly test out my ankle without the brace. At least around the house I could function without it, but I’d need it for anything strenuous for at least another week. 

I made up some sandwiches after putting Henry down while Mulder was showering and rummaging around the house doing something. I’d occasionally catch glimpses of him through the hallway in his loose gym shorts all men owned in abundance and a gray t-shirt that was frankly doing things to me. Good things. It was a new comfort of being in such casual dress around each other while not out on a case or in an emergency, my own leggings and loose shirt a testament to that feeling. 

He came into the kitchen and slapped down something in front of me, his hand on the table. With a flourish, he revealed my new house key. 

“Ta-da. While you were putting Henry down and showering I moved my clothes to one side of the closet. Actually, they don’t even take up a whole side. So you could start unpacking if you want. The bathroom was easy too—the right side and below is all yours.”

I smiled through my sandwich at his thoughtfulness. “Thank you, Mulder. Maybe tomorrow we can bring some more things over?” I had mentally calculated the space needed for all of my things, and we’d likely need to bring over my smaller dresser at some point to fit everything. 

He nodded, inhaling his lunch as though he was starving. 

We ate in silence for a little while, relishing the quiet and listening to the minute sounds Henry made through the monitor as he settled down to sleep.

“I have a lawyer, in the city, I called last week,” Mulder started. 

I paused eating and looked up at him, curious as to why we would need a lawyer. Usually, in my experience, when someone of that profession is so casually mentioned, either bad news or a threat is issued shortly thereafter. Mulder sounded too nonchalant for either option.

He swallowed another bite. “For the house. I want your name on it, if that’s okay with you, just for legal stuff. You live here, it’s yours too. I want it to be official.”

I nodded, but Mulder was on a roll. 

“Not that it would make too much of a difference. Before Henry came along, you were my sole beneficiary so it would have been your house anyway, if anything happened. Now it will be yours and Henry’s—the lawyer is the same guy I had for that stuff too. Just in case I get hit by a bus next week or something.” He shrugged casually, going back to his sandwich. 

I knew this was a sweet notion to him, a gesture, so that’s what I focused on outside of the morbid implications. Of course, he had been in my will too, along with my mom and a few charities connected with the church, but I needed to include Henry as well. I made a mental note to get that done soon. 

“Do I need to sign anything?” I picked up my sandwich again. 

“Um, yeah, I think so.” He paused for a second. “There’s something else.”

I quirked an eyebrow for him to continue. 

“I, um. Okay. I would like for you to legally adopt Henry. Soon.”

I sucked in a breath and held it, very still, half a bite of food still in my mouth. 

“Much for the same reasons as the house but,” he laughed nervously, “a little more complicated obviously.”

Wow. I knew this was going to be brought up at some point but not now. Not over a rushed lunch on a Monday afternoon. I was a little shocked, but unsurprised that this is how Mulder would bring something like this up.

“You’re going to be his mom, you are his mom. If anything happens to either of us, and I’m talking about even getting the flu or breaking a finger and we wind up in the hospital, you need to have access. He should have access to you. I should too, now that we aren’t just partners. Everywhere. If we’re going to be a family then I want to be a legally-binding family, ya know?”

I took a lengthy second to process, finishing the food still in my mouth, but it was too long for him to wait. 

“Unless you don’t, I mean, unless you’d rather wait, or—”

“Mulder stop. I just, well,” I slid my hand across the table to cover his and made sure he was looking at me and not the floor. “I thought we would take care of all of that whenever we got married.”

It was his turn to be caught off guard. For a moment, I thought I’d have to call in help to pick his jaw up off the floor but I maintained the serious eye contact—not without a smile. 

“I—” was all he said for a moment, his mouth quirking up in a half-smile.

“Is that something you want, Mulder? Something you’ve, um, considered?”

With a snap he closed his mouth, dropped his sandwich, and stood, tugging my hand up with him until I came around to his side of the table. 

“Scully,” he smiled, “how could I have not dreamed about the thing I’ve most wanted in all this world?” 

I surged up to him and we kissed, half-finished meals and heavy requests be damned—I needed Mulder. To hell with it all—I tugged on him and we stumbled through the living room, nearly wiping out due to the coffee table and a few of Henry’s toys. 

I usually reserve praying for the truly important things in life. Mulder’s safety. My survival during cancer. I pray for my family in heaven, for my mother. The victims on our cases, for the downfall of the syndicate. 

Right now I prayed for Henry to sleep until Mulder and I were finished making love for the first time. 

We made it, miraculously because I gave up steering us about halfway there, to Mulder’s bedroom. We separated, backing up a few feet and panting. His wide eyes mirrored my own. 

“Now?” he panted. 

“Mulder,” I laughed, “I believe we just got engaged—I think it’s about time don’t you?”

We both paused, taking in the moment and then I advanced to him again. Extraneous thoughts fell away. All I could focus on was my want for him, my need, the feeling of finally and yes yes yes.

I started tugging on his shirt, the freshly laundered scent wafting to me—underneath it, a smell of comfort and love, of Mulder. Our mouths played in the air between us, touching and teasing through smiles as we nuzzled into each other’s bodies, taking the friction where we could. 

His hands came up to my sides, rubbing up and down and teasing my loose t-shirt up, making goose bumps flare across my ribs to my spine. I allowed him to pull my shirt over my head and immediately pushed his up as well, him having to finish the job because of our height difference. 

God, his chest, so warm and soft with hard muscles moving just beneath the surface. He came alive under my fingertips, his chest flexing uncontrollably as he stepped closer, subtly trying to figure out how to release the clasp on my bra. 

“Jesus, Scully, is there a key to this thing?”

I kissed his chest and granted him mercy, reaching behind myself with one hand and undoing the clasp in a quick motion, ridding myself of the offending garment. 

I briefly thought about the still-lingering yellowish patches across my skin that just recently had been vivid and swollen bruises, but Mulder didn’t seem to pause or hesitate. Instead his hands blazed a trail from my lower back around to the sides of my breasts, thumbing over them.

I gasped and pulled him down to me again, kissing for all my worth. God it felt good to be in the arms of a man like this after so, so long—to be in the arms of this man. 

My hands are roaming, grasping, running over the tanned expanse of his skin, up to his neck and back down, down to his waistband. He moaned into my mouth, sucking my tongue and nipping at my lips.

A tiny bit of blind exploration revealed that he was only wearing the gym shorts, and soon they were pooled around his feet. I pulled him closer again, his full length finally bare against my stomach. I couldn’t help but reaching back and squeezing his perfect ass as he ground into me. 

He broke the kiss and, in a moment of pure strength and lust combined, picked me up and tossed me over onto the bed. He pulled my leggings down, taking my underwear as he went. We both took a moment to breathe. I sat partway up, taking in the vision of him before me and he did the same. Weeks of medical attention and years of emergencies left me unapologetic of my nudity, comfortable in it, even as I felt the blush begin across my sternum and up my neck in some pale imitation of where his hands had been. 

“Come on, Mulder, come to bed with me.” I moved back, straightening out and tugging his hand with me as he climbed up next to me. We lay against each other, grasping closer, and he pushed me to my back so he could hover over me and kiss down my neck. 

“Scully,” he kept repeating between kisses. “Scully, gorgeous, perfect, sexy Scully. God I love you.”

I blushed at his praise and then flushed further when his mouth sucked on that sensitive spot just under my ear, my entire body thrumming with want. My hips thrust up to empty air and I groaned.

“God, Mulder,” I breathed as he finally maneuvered himself between my spread legs and made contact, starting a slow grind between us that felt heavenly. I was audibly breathing letting out little noises that only seemed to spur him on as he moved back from my neck to kiss me again, plunging his tongue in my mouth and grazing my nipples with the hand not holding him up. 

He broke off the kiss and I was thankful to get some air again as he started kissing down my neck and to my chest and finally to were my breasts were waiting for his mouth; my hands found refuge in his soft, thick hair. He took them in one by one, sucking and caressing with his tongue back and forth until I couldn’t stand it anymore. 

I moved my hands from his hair to his shoulders, tugging him back up to me, trying to close the gap between us again, more than ready for him.

He huffed out a laugh and looked up at me. 

“Impatient much?”

I shot him an exasperated glare. “We’ve got plenty of time for that later! Get up here.”

He practically growled as he moved forward with intent, his mouth covering mine again as he aligned himself with my opening. He reached down to steady himself and I tilted my hips up, running my hands along his biceps to his neck as he started to enter me. We echoed wordless sentiments as he slid into me and we were still, both panting into each other’s mouths, happiness radiating from us both, connected like this at last. 

He tilted his head, wordlessly asking if I was ready and I nodded. He started slowly rocking, bringing his knees further up under mind and cradling my body up from the bed slightly.   
He was perfect, felt so good over me and under me and inside of me. His rhythmic thrusting began to lengthen and speed up and I trembled, feeling sparks light up my body. He peppered kisses all over my face and neck and I hooked my good leg more tightly over his back. 

At this angle he was rubbing against me in the most delicious way and I felt the sparks gather at the apex of my thighs as my muscles tensed. 

“Oh, don’t stop don’t stop don’t stop, yes, yes Mulder.”

My world burst into white-hot shocks, cognizant only to Mulder chanting my name above me. He thrust once, twice, three more times and drove down against me as he came. 

Sweaty and panting, he half collapsed on me, his forehead slick on mine as we half-kissed with open mouths and closed eyes. 

He rolled is to our sides and we separated, catching our breaths. 

“Wow,” he said. “That was-”

“It was great,” I panted, feeling my unused muscles twitch and burn, my ankle throbbing at the stain I just put it through. I couldn’t care less. 

“Just great?” he teased. 

“It was wonderful, Mulder,” I twisted into his side as he lay back, my right hand and leg across his body, continuing to tease him. “Beautiful, fantastic, daresay the best experience of my life, eleven out of ten, I can’t wait to tell-“

“Alright, alright I get it,” he laughed. 

We lapsed into the stillness post-coital bliss for a while, and I was close to falling asleep when his voice roused me again. 

“Hey, Scully. When do you want to get married?”

He asked so casually that I reacted uncontrolled, a giggle bubbling up from deep within and shaking my entire body. Mulder pulled me closer with his right arm and laughed too, delighted in the ridiculousness of the moment. 

“Well,” I managed to reply, smiling so hard it hurt. “I think a ring first would be appropriate. Then we’d need to tell our family, friends. Decide on a date where everyone could come. Plan it out. Nothing too big, but I’d like it to be in a church at least.” I continued to babble about my wishes as Mulder hummed in agreement. “No wedding party, just us. Maybe have the reception here.” 

I nuzzled into his shoulder more, trying to fight with the sleepiness that was encompassing us both. 

“I’ve got a ring already, Scully.”

That got my attention and I angled up to look at him. 

“You do? How—”

He looked at me, bliss clear on his face. “I’ve had it for ages. It was my grandmothers, on my mom’s side. She gave it to me when she died. I’d been saving it for you the past few years, if I’m being honest.”

I was speechless—a ring for me, a sentimental one, with my name on it. 

“We can get it sized soon, but it may already fit you. She had small fingers too.” He found my hand and brought it up to his mouth, kissing it gently. “If you don’t like it, we can get something else.”

“I’m sure I’ll love it, Mulder.” I shook my hand from his and caressed his face, tilting it to me so we could share a sweet kiss again. We lingered in that gentle kiss for a while, only breaking apart when we heard the faint noises of Henry waking from across the hall. 

Mulder sighed and sat up, I along with him, matching smiles on both of our faces. I noticed the clock on our nightstand, just after two-thirty. 

“Mulder, why don’t you get dressed and head over to get the files from Skinner? I’ll take care of Henry.”

He leaned over and kissed my forehead before reluctantly parting and getting up. I gathered my clothes and headed to bathroom, freshening up before getting redressed as Mulder threw on a suit. 

I went in and picked up the fussy Henry, happy to see he calmed at being with another human. We walked toward the kitchen, meeting Mulder with the rest of his sandwich in one hand and his car keys in the other, tie loose around his neck until he got to the bureau. 

“Hey sleepyhead! I’ll be back in a little while,” he stated sweetly, kissing his son’s head and my lips before heading to the door. “You two have fun!”

“Oh we will—tell Skinner I said hello!” I called after him. 

The door shut and it was just Henry and I left in the house. We looked at each other for a minute, him more playing with my hair than in contemplation. 

“Alright, Mr. Henry, what shall we do to fill the time?”

Henry mumbled and swayed in my arms. 

“Clean up the kitchen? That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

I continued my conversation with him as I strapped him in to his high chair and got him a snack, turning on the radio and sinking into the peaceful domesticity of the afternoon. 

In my head, I had a wedding to plan. It felt almost girlish, my delight, but I was engaged, to Mulder, to be wed, going to be a wife, with a husband, with a child. I needed to call my mom, but I thought it would be better, or at least more entertaining, to have Mulder with me, a ring to show off, and an actual engagement story besides mentioning marriage and jumping his bones. 

Until then, I got to keep the news to myself, let it simmer and settle inside before I had to release it to the world. Well, there was one person I should tell. 

“Hey Henry, guess what?” He looked up from his snack puff at the mention of his name. “Your dad and I are getting married!” I said excitedly, and Henry responded to the tone with an enthusiastic smile and squeal that I mirrored, feeding his delight with my own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all for your lovely comments and patience! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!


	16. Chapter 16

“Oh my god, Scully, look at this guy! He looks just like Kersh!” he laughed and pointed to the agent’s file. 

Mulder leaned over, shifting my legs on his lap so I could get a glance. “Mini-Kersh! Put him in the interview pile.” I laughed. “Could you imagine the meetings?”

We were sprawled out on the couch later that evening, eating pizza and drinking wine like the new parents we were. Well, at least I thought this is what new parents would be like, the routine I imagined when we weren’t running after Henry. He was playing on the mat in front of us, content with the small arch of toys over him and fascinated with the fish next to him. 

Skinner gave Mulder a surprisingly large pile of files, and a good portion of the agents within had requested to be considered for the x files even before last year, and even more in the last six months. We were in the midst of sorting through them, making three piles for no, maybe, and definitely interview. 

“This one reminds me of Pendrell,” I pointed out. “His specialty is even in lab work—only been a field agent a few years.” Mulder looked over the file and nodded, exchanging that file with one he had just looked at. 

A woman forensic specialist who requested the files years ago, updating her interest several times over. Good record, a few instances of disciplinary action that only helped her case in our eyes. You had to be tough to be in the basement, not take anyone’s crap. I put her in the yes pile along with tiny Pendrell. 

“This is a little surreal, isn’t it?” I said, lazily. “Getting to handpick the agents who would basically fulfill our legacy at the FBI?”

Mulder swallowed some pizza, wiping away some sauce on a file before tossing it in the no pile. 

“A little, but honestly? It makes sense that they would make us do the dirty work instead of taking the time and effort to form a committee.”

I smile, shaking my head. “Only you would make this opportunity depressing,” I teased, nudging him with my feet. 

“One of my many charming qualities, I assure you.”

We spent another hour looking through the files, dividing the maybe pile to the yes and no piles and polishing off the pizza. Soon enough we were both reclined on the couch, watching Henry play and the news on the TV. 

“So,” I started, “I was going to tell you this earlier, but I’m actively looking for someone to take over my lease, which could happen at any time, so we should maybe coordinate and figure out when to move my things over?”

Mulder responded with a lazy smile. “Any thoughts about furniture?”

“Um,” I responded equally slowly. “Well, we’re definitely using my kitchen table set. And we’ll need one of my dressers. And we can probably put some of my things in storage, like my bed frame.”

Mulder hummed at the thought. “The garage would probably be fine for that kind of stuff.”

“You’re probably right.” I let out a contented sigh, conscious of the well-earned banality of this moment. “My dishes and kitchen things should fit fine, we can sell the duplicates or donate them. My bookshelf will hold my books, and we can set up my desk in the office by yours. And, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but my TV is bigger than yours.”

“That’s fair. We can move this one into the bedroom.” 

“You also don’t own any lamps. Didn’t you have some in your apartment?”

Mulder looked a little sheepish. “They didn’t exactly survive the move. The Gunmen aren’t exactly known for their delicacy.”

Mulder heaved himself up and stretched, gathering the pizza boxes and glasses and taking them to the kitchen in a new habit of being a responsible adult, one that I greatly admired in him. I moved down to talk to Henry, who was nodding off but desperately trying to stay awake so he could play more. He definitely took after his father in that regard.

I shut off the TV, preferring the ambient noises of Mulder washing dishes and cleaning up the kitchen to an infomercial about a vacuum. That reminded me, we’d need my vacuum here too. 

“How ‘bout it, Henry boy?”

He turned to me with a small sound, starting to chew on an octopus leg. 

“Time for bed?” I scooped him up, groaning at the weight of his sleepy form, and tucked him and Ollie under my chin. I walked him in to the kitchen to say goodnight. 

“Night night daddy,” I said in a baby voice, lifting Henry up to Mulder’s face. 

“Night baby boy,” he kissed Henry’s face, his hands still in soapy water. 

I shuffled off to Henry’s room, half distracted at how adorable a sleepy baby was, rubbing his fists on his eyes. We kept him up past his bedtime due to his, shall we say, extra-long nap this afternoon. I hid a smile in his hair at the thought. 

I changed him to his night clothes and performed his little ritual of saying goodnight to Ollie and turning on the mobile, smoothing his hair until he got sleepy and making sure his nightlights were on before I crept out of the room. I yawned too, wanting to collapse into bed too, but I went in to see if I could help Mulder. On the way, I tidied up our piles of agent files and fixed the pillows and blanket on the couch. I saw that Mulder fed the fish, so I double checked the lock on the front door and flipped off the porch light. The kitchen light was off, so I turned back to the living room about to head to the bedrooms when Mulder suddenly appeared across the room, an odd look in his eye. 

“Mulder, what—” 

He moved and I met him in the middle of the room and was about to finish my question when he sunk down on one knee, pulling out something from behind his back. 

Oh my god. 

“Mulder,” I whispered, bringing my hands to my face.

“Scully,” he started, a smile wobbling on his face. “Scully, I’ve thought about this exact moment for years, and the last few weeks have only cemented my love for you.”

I watched as Mulder’s eyes got wet, feeling my own do the same. He continued.

“I have imagined asking you to marry me in a beautiful restaurant by the sea, or at the reflection pool at night, or even in our basement office we shared for so long. But this moment, this moment right now on a Monday night in our living room, is just as perfect. You just took care of our son, in our house, where we are actively building both our legacy and our future together by recreating one of our trademark pastimes of looking over files late at night over greasy pizza,” he laughed. 

I was shaking, hot tears then running down my face as I gazed down at Mulder, my smile so wide it trembled. 

“Except it’s not so late. We aren’t on a case together, we aren’t on the run. We’re raising a baby and living my wildest dream. So much has changed, our jobs, our futures, and most importantly, our relationship. 

“Dana Scully,” he swallowed. “I am so in love you. Will you do me the absolute honor of marrying me?”

The sight of him, kneeling and looking up at me with that expression on his face was a little overwhelming, despite knowing this was coming. As usual, Mulder surprised and confounded me with his way of words and, this time, honesty and emotion. 

“Mulder,” I said softly, “I—yes, of course I will marry you!” 

Mulder jumped up and hugged me, and I kissed his neck which was the furthest I could reach being flush against him. We pulled back and he helped me wipe the tears off my face with his free hand as we smiled at each other. 

“Well that was a little more official,” he teased. 

“Definitely a more appropriate story to tell my family,” I agreed. 

“Here,” he brought the ring up again. “Want to try it on?”

It was gorgeous. The ring was silver with elegant lattice work on each side, and the flat oval diamond in the center was surrounded by tiny emeralds. 

“Oh, wow.” I held out my hand and he slipped the ring onto my finger, a practically perfect fit. I stared at it on my hand, feeling all the emotions I thought I was over yesterday and more. I had half a thought that I should get a manicure to compliment the ring but I pushed it out of my head, trying to stay in the moment. 

“Do you like it?” Mulder was still holding my hand and he bent down to place a gentle kiss on the knuckle next to the ring. “Because we can always look for something else.”

“It’s perfect, Mulder, really, it’s gorgeous. Your grandfather had excellent taste.”

Brought him to me again, wanting to feel his solid chest on mine again. 

He stiffened for a second, catching my attention. 

“Scully, should I have asked your mom first? Tradition and whatnot—she won’t be offended?”

I laughed at the thought. “Mulder, if you did, and you know my mother adores you, she would probably look at you like you were crazy. I don’t need her permission to marry you. In fact, I remember her asking me not too long ago when we would do this.”

“Really?” He sounded shocked but relaxed again in my grasp. “So, when are we going to break it to everyone that you’re officially off the market? Frohike will be devastated.” 

I nuzzled into him. “I don’t know, soon? I think the boys already know what’s going on, this, like you said, just makes things legal and official and everything.”

“True,” he said into the top of my head. “But don’t get me wrong at all, I want to be married to you, legal and official or not. It’s not just about shared insurance for me, baby, I’m in it for your hot body,” he cracked. 

I giggled, too happy to pretend offense, and then winced at the pain in my ankle. We had been swaying back and forth in our embrace and I leaned on my bad leg a little too sharply. 

Before I knew it, Mulder had swooped down and picked me up, dare I think it, bridal style and was swiftly walking me toward our bedroom, despite my protests at being carried.   
~ ~ ~  
Morning. Early, but not as early as I had been getting up for the past decade on a week day so I was doing pretty good. Well, better than good.

I groaned and stretched, feeling the tangled sheets on my naked body and reveling in the feeling of afterglow. 

Mulder had gone to take care of Henry hours ago, and came back to bed wide awake, waking me up for round two which left me in my current state of absolute laziness. I only felt a little guilty that Mulder was up starting Henry’s day but, damn, this didn’t happen very often alright?

I drifted, falling in and out of a light sleep, when suddenly I heard someone other than Mulder talking in the living room—wait, Mom?

What was she doing here?

I did a quick inventory on context as I sat up and scrambled for some clothing. No birthdays, no anniversaries, no plans. My mother wasn’t one to just drop by—she must have some reason. Or her supernatural mother instinct kicked in and she somehow knew that I now wore a ring on my finger. 

I paused, zipping my pants in front of the bathroom mirror and thinking, should I take the ring off? Wear it? I combed my fingers through my hair, catching sight of the ring as I did so. My hand hovered in the air, trembling slightly at the adrenaline only an unexpected visit from your mother could induce. 

I was being ridiculous. Of course I should just wear it—we would tell her eventually anyway and I don’t think Mulder would be upset at her being the first to know. Oh, and she would likely do us the extreme favor of telling the entire family so I didn’t have to. 

Suddenly thankful for the visit as my nerves calmed, I applied chapstick to look more put together, slung on a cardigan over my t-shirt and padded through the living room and into the kitchen. 

My mother was sitting at the table with her back to me sipping a cup of tea, and didn’t hear me approach, allowing me to silently ask Mulder why she was here. He half shrugged, spooning Henry his breakfast, and then looked like he just saw me. 

“Morning Scully,” he smiled. 

Mom half turned in her seat and said the same. 

“Hi, Mom,” I kissed her cheek and moved to the counter to pour myself some coffee. “What brings you by?”

“Oh, you know, I was just in the neighborhood,” she said coyly. “I mainly just wanted to see how you were doing, and to see Henry of course.”

I hovered behind Mulder and Henry, taking a big sip of coffee to wake up. I consciously held the coffee high in my left hand, waiting for her to see the ring. 

“I’m doing good, mom. The bruising has basically disappeared, my ribs aren’t hurting and my shoulder is practically back to normal.”

“Her ankle is still acting up,” Mulder commented and I shoved his shoulder a little. 

“My ankle is doing as expected after a sprain, and I’m still wearing the brace.”

Mom gave me a look that screamed ‘you better be taking care of yourself Dana,’ one I’ve seen many times before, and I saw the moment her eyes caught sight of the ring. 

She gasped. “Dana—is that, are you, is that what I think it is?”

Mulder looked up from the mushed food in confusion. 

“It is.” I circled the table.

“When?”

“Yesterday.” Before I could offer my hand for her too look at the ring, she leapt up and hugged me, sloshing my coffee only a little. 

“God, Dana, I’m so happy for you both.” She backed off and looked at the ring. “Fox, this is gorgeous—a family ring?”

“My grandmother’s, Maggie.” Mulder wiped off Henry’s face and turned to us. “Her and my grandfather had the best relationship out of anyone I knew in my family and she left it to me. I have my grandfather’s ring too,” he looked at me with the new information.

I would be fine with him wearing that ring too and smiled in acknowledgement as Mom and I both took seats. 

“Mom, before you ask, I have no idea when the wedding will be. We haven’t talked about it.”

“We can talk about all that later, of course. I’m just very happy for you both.”

Luckily, my mother sensed well enough to switch topics, talking about Henry for a while and how our project with the bureau was going. We told her the good news about the files and even picking the new agents, and she updated us about the family. 

I also told her to ask at church if anyone was looking for an apartment because I was looking for someone to take over my lease.

Mulder escaped gracefully by taking Henry through to clean him up and I coaxed my mother to leave. We stood on the porch extending our goodbyes when she turned to me with a serious expression. 

“Dana, you know that I am happy for you and Fox, and I support you, but are you absolutely sure this is what you want?”

I didn’t hesitate. “Yes, mom, it is. I love him, and I love Henry, and we are a family now, married or not.” I appreciated the motherly concern she had to make sure I was fine and smiled to let her know it.

She smiled. “Good. Now. Are you getting married in the church? You know they don’t make the spouse convert anymore.”

“Yes, mom,” I rolled my eyes and smirked, knowing this was coming. “We will. It’s important to me too. 

She relaxed and started down the steps. I watched her from the porch, feeling entirely domestic in my bare feet in front of the home I share with my fiancé and our baby. I went back inside, looking forward to our day spent together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading!!


	17. Chapter 17

I sighed, not remembering how taxing it was to pack up everything you own. Not much was left in my apartment. There was a hefty pile of things I would donate to the church for their next sale in my living room, a pile that they would luckily be picking up on their own, and I was still packing up my kitchen.

Mulder’s new set of kitchenware was fine but I was attached to some of my things. Plus, mine were all better quality and would probably last longer than his. It still felt weird to justify making him get rid of things but I was trying to conceptualize that it wouldn’t be mine and his any longer, it’d be our things. 

I’d been alone for about an hour, trying to finish packing up everything, when the moving crew came back in. 

Of course, by moving crew, I meant the combined forces of Gunmen, Mulder, and their friend’s van. 

My virtue of compromise, and the fact that they’d do it for food and gas money, I allowed the three weirdos I now consider my friends, extended family even, to help move my stuff to the new house. Before the actual day I of course moved all of my sensitive possessions, including underwear, toiletries, and more, with only Mulder’s help. Just because I loved them like family didn’t mean I trusted them wholly.

“Scully!” Mulder greeted me, kissing my forehead as was his newest habit. He looked around a moment. “I think this’ll be the last load, just kitchen stuff and the chairs left over.” 

The trio entered behind him, dressed normally except for Byers’ unusually casual outfit. I remarked on his appearance this morning when he first came in and he explained that even he had casual clothes. Still, it was a little unsettling to see him in gym shorts. They entered the kitchen without excitement and looked around wearily. The bone-tired, hazy feeling that comes naturally with any moving day radiated in the space between us all. 

“Why don’t you guys polish off the rest of the pizza and drinks that are in the fridge and I’ll finish packing up?” I suggested. If I hadn’t said anything they probably would’ve stayed there in the doorway, swaying brainlessly and awaiting orders. 

The boys moved like zombies to refuel and retreated into the other room, leaving Mulder to scarf pizza and root beer over a paper towel across from me. His mental facilities were still intact, unlike the trio in the living room.

“Well, are you sad to leave your apartment? I know you’ve been here for a while.”

I smiled into the box in front of me at the question, getting back into the rhythm of packing dishes. “Oh, I don’t know. It’s been a little lonely here the last few years. I have a lot of good memories here, but just as many bad ones. Maybe more.”

I know he was thinking about the multiple times I was tricked or attacked in this apartment, as was I, but those times were no less powerful than the nights I spent here with him as friends, the trials of being a dog owner for too short a time, the relief I felt coming home from a long case and soaking in the tub with the sole company of wine and classical music. 

I looked up and saw that Mulder’s face was still shadowed by the bad and I tried to change it. 

“I did love this place, but I’d much rather make new memories at the house with you and Henry.”

He smirked around his last bite of pizza, and after washing it down with the root beer asked if I had heard anything from my mom about Henry. 

“Last I heard he was being an angel. She’s not going to call every hour, Mulder.”

Mulder shifted and looked sheepish. “I know, I know. It’s still weird being away from him for very long.”

“I understand the feeling,” I replied, and I did. Several times today I wished that I had just brought him over here with me but I knew my mother would be treating him with more attention than I would have been able to. 

“Would it be weird to lojack Henry?”

I laughed at the idea. “Maybe a little, but it may not be a bad idea. He’s got that Mulder blood in him so he’ll be running off by himself in no time.”

Mulder comically collapsed his upper half on the table, sprawling his long arms haphazardly and almost knocking off a vase I hadn’t packed yet.

“God, running. Don’t remind me. Then it’ll be school and girls and driving and dating and college and before you know it our son will be playing for the Knicks and we’ll be old. Old, Scully!”

I chuckled at his new description of the future. Last time he lamented about the forward march of time, Henry was head of the FBI and had proven the existence of Sasquatch. The time before that he was, curiously, a lawyer in Memphis. Probably so Mulder could go to Graceland anytime he wanted. 

After recovering, Mulder helped me carefully wrap and pack the rest of the breakables and appliances in my kitchen. As he and the boys took down the last of the boxes I started on a cursory tour of my newly empty apartment, triple checking that I had cleared everything out. 

It felt so different, to be in the empty version of my former home. 

My bathroom no longer echoed the memory of being attacked by a man who wanted my liver, nor did it bring me the relief of hot baths after frustrating cases and days. 

My living room didn’t give me the mortifying reminder of Eddie van Blundt, disguised as Mulder, about to kiss me, of writing up impossible case notes in the middle of the night, or of my father appearing to me in a vision. 

Queequeg’s yapping didn’t echo in the hallway.

My bedroom seemed hollow. It didn’t feel like the room where I had been attacked, where I had broken down in tears or lit up with peals of laughter over late night phone calls with Mulder. Where I had dreamed about him.

My apartment had held a significant role in my life as an agent of the x files. It was the setting for some of the most horrible things to happen to me, the most upsetting, the most embarrassing. But it was also a reminder that I survived. I thrived. I lived through it all and came out the other side stronger and with more to live for.

I must’ve been caught up in my thoughts because I didn’t notice Mulder enter until he slid his arms around me from behind and rested his chin on my head. I leaned back into his embrace.   
“Reminiscing?” he murmured.

“Sort of. More like,” I paused. “Saying goodbye.”

Mulder nodded and hugged me a little tighter. “I felt the same leaving my apartment. Except I barely had time to run in, grab the essentials, and go pick up Henry. I slept on the floor next to his crib that first night. I didn’t have the presence of mind to tell the guys until that day, and they couldn’t help move until the day after.

“Actually, I don’t even think I slept, my mind was going too crazy to think. Everything just changed, my whole life, all at once. Every plan I had for the future thrown out the window. Everything I thought I knew about my life, my role in the world, completely turned into something else. I was a wreck.”

I hummed in his arms, happy that he was sharing this with me. 

“I think I was worried I’d accidently kill him or something,” he laughed. “I’d never been around a baby by myself. But as much as I was worried I was just as much excited about starting something new, being tossed into a new life with a new purpose. It felt like it was time.”

I suddenly felt all the weight of our years together, the friendship, the love, the loss. It was fulfilling, like we had made something together even before Henry and now this was our reward. 

“It is time,” I agreed. I turned in his arms and lifted up on tiptoe to kiss him, newly able to balance evenly on my almost-healed ankle. “Everything’s loaded up?”

“Yeah,” he answered with a kiss. 

I indulged him for a few moments and then broke it off. “Let’s go home.”

I gathered my phone and keys and grabbed Mulder’s hand, and we exited my old apartment for the last time, together. 

\---

I had been forcibly banished from the office. Just because my leg was feeling a little sore. 

Ok. A lot sore. 

A long, warm shower once the guys left hadn’t helped much but I was just trying to power through it.

After a full day of lifting and standing, my poor limb was complaining loudly. I was just going to power through it and sit on the floor, organizing things out of boxes, but Mulder was having none of it. He guilted me into spending time with Henry and then shut the door to the office so he could finish unpacking books and files without me. 

As much as it was annoying I was also relieved. This was the most physical activity I had done vertically in weeks and it was taxing. I blushed a little at the thought of the horizontal activity we had been indulging in and then moved into the living room where Henry had been happily playing in his little playpen and listening classical music. 

Once he saw me enter he dropped the stuffed bear he was holding and started to hold on to the side of the netting. This was one of his new talents that he loved to show off. Crawling was old news now that he could pull himself up to stand. He had made it just a few seconds of standing on his own just yesterday and was desperately trying to recreate that feeling. 

“Henry boy! Look at you, standing up like a little man. I’m so proud.”

He looked up and gave me a gummy smile and then fell backwards onto his butt with a soft plop. 

“Oopsie!” I picked him up and tickled his sides. He was delighted, and I could tell he wanted some cuddle time. I moved us over to the couch and sat down hard, thankful that there was a bottle of water still on the table next to me. I took a healthy swig, feeling dehydrated. 

I grabbed the book laying closest to me on the couch and halfheartedly noticed that a cleanup of Henry toys and things was in order but could definitely wait until later. 

“Okay, Henry,” I positioned him to sit on my lap so he could see the colors of the book in front of him. “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” I opened the first page. “In the light of the moon, a little egg lay on a leaf…”

Henry and I worked our way through the book, taking extra time with pointing out all the different foods and leaves and colors the caterpillar worked through. Talking about it actually made me hungry, and by the time we were through half an hour had passed and it was time for Henry’s dinner. 

I picked him up and headed to the kitchen, distracted by a rumbling in my stomach and trying to keep Henry entertained enough so he wouldn’t get fussy at his lack of entertainment. 

So distracted, even, that I forgot to watch out for the toys scattered across the floor. 

My right foot stepped on a soft ball Henry was throwing around earlier. It would’ve been fine if my leg was healed, instead it immediately buckled under us both and we hit the floor with a resounding thud. 

My motherly instincts took over and I twisted to my side as we fell, holding Henry out so he wouldn’t get hurt at all. I yelped on the way down and my breath was knocked out when I hit the floor on my right side, unable to just land on my ass so I hit full force on my hip and ribs. 

Henry was cradled against my chest and let out an indecisive noise. I recognized it from when he would fall over harmlessly—he was trying to figure out if he was okay or if he needed to cry.   
I needed to cry. 

Instead I lifted him up a little and smiled at him, managing to speak through the pain and breathlessness. 

“It’s okay baby boy.” I injected as much fun into my voice as I could, trying to trick him into thinking this was an airplane game but it didn’t work.

Mulder rushed in just as Henry decided to cry at the sudden change in altitude. 

“Scull—what happened! Are you okay?”

I gave up the act, letting Mulder take Henry from my arms and tried to sit up. 

“Son of a bitch,” I exhaled, tears prickling at my eyes. One arm came around to cradle my ribs and I tentatively stretched out my right leg, already feeling the joints start to swell at the impact. 

Mulder was hovering, caught between comforting his son, who was thankfully calming down at being held, and trying to help me. 

I waved him off with my free hand. “I’m fine,” my voice still shaky with the jarring fall. “Leg buckled. Stupid ball.”

Mulder figured out what happened and walked over to set a recovered Henry back in the playpen and came back to help me. 

“Are you okay? Your ribs?” He gestured to where I was still holding them. 

“Just bruised. Again. I’ll be fine.”

Mulder, bless him, waited for my instructions before trying to help me get up. It took another minute for my breath to come back fully. I hadn’t hit the floor like that in a long time, if ever. If I hadn’t had Henry in my arms I could’ve caught myself and it would have been fine, but mom instincts are a hell of a thing. 

“I hate to ask after a day of moving boxes,” I said, looking up at Mulder’s still worried gaze. “But would you mind picking me up and putting me on the couch? This floor is not exactly comfortable.” I injected some humor in my tone to reassure Mulder that I was okay, but I was still a little shaken too. My body was viscerally reminding me of the hell it went through just a few weeks ago and expressing its displeasure at having to go through more trauma. 

Mulder lifted me with ease and sat me in the corner of the sofa, my legs resting along the cushions. 

“What do you need? Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’ll be fine. Make sure Henry is okay.” I couldn’t hear him fuss anymore and I was second guessing myself—what if I had hurt him? I looked frantically toward the playpen.

“Hey hey hey, Henry is fine, take a breath, you did good.” Mulder sat down on the couch next to my hip and held my face so I would look at him. “Henry is fine, he’s just confused and probably hungry. Now, what did you hurt?”

I sighed and melted back into the couch, releasing the tension carefully around my newly agitated injuries. 

“From bottom to top, ankle, knee, hip, ass, ribs, ego.” I smiled ruefully. 

Mulder shook his head. “Clumsy Scully. Never thought I’d see the day. I’ll get some ice and pills for the majority of your injuries. Ego I’ll just have to fix later.” He winked and disappeared into the kitchen. 

I couldn’t help myself and gently twisted on the couch again to watch Henry push a teddy bear around the playpen peacefully. He’s okay, he’s okay. God, I was going to be paranoid about walking with him for ages now. My thoughts filled with the worst, what if there had been a corner of furniture and he had clipped it? What if I hadn’t been able to keep him in my arms and he had fallen?

I covered my face with both hands, trying to stem back tears of frustration and leftover adrenaline, but instead I let out a sob that shifted my ribs and my resolve was gone.

Mulder came back with three ice packs, all wrapped in kitchen towels. I heard them thunk down on the coffee table as he resumed his space next to me. 

“Hey, look up. You’re okay, Henry’s okay, nothing bad happened. Well, except for you pushing your recovery back a little. You didn’t hurt him.” Mulder pulled me gently against his chest and rubbed his hands down my back, trying to soothe the sobs that made my whole body shake.

“I didn’t hurt him,” I let out. “I didn’t. I know. I’m, I’m sorry,” I apologized to him, and to Henry, still shaking but breathing a little easier in Mulder’s arms. “What a fucking day it’s been,” I huffed out a laugh at the trail end of my tears and Mulder joined in, relieved that I was calming down. I think I scared him a little with my outburst but we both had plenty of experience with wildly ranging emotions and long days. 

Mulder helped me put my leg on pillows and get the ice packs arranged. He fetched the extra strength Tylenol and a new bottle of water and made sure I was fine, tucking me under a blanket and rearranging the pillows behind me before taking Henry to get his dinner in him.   
While they were in the other room I regrouped, double checking my ankle and knee and ribs. 

My ankle was swelling a little at the strain, but would likely be back to where it was by tomorrow, and same with my knee. Nothing a long bath later wouldn’t fix. My ribs ached and would likely be tender for a little while, but it wasn’t so bad that I thought they had cracked again. 

I was mainly just upset that I fell at all, but I was glad that Henry was fine and Mulder was here. It was a reminder to be more careful with him while I was healing. 

God. I was glad I had the weekend to recover again. We had a big week ahead of us—interviewing the new recruits for the x files and clearing out our old basement office to make room for the new teams. Mulder and I would take turns training them on different aspects from our unique filing system to standard cryptid procedures. Training would take us through to Thanksgiving. 

Thanksgiving. That’s another hurdle to pass. As solid and happy as I felt in my relationship with Mulder I was still nervous to present the three of us as a family to my family. It was a lot to take in, especially with Henry and the engagement, and I could only hope that Bill wouldn’t explode from anger at the news. 

My mind running through everything and planning lulled me into a twilight sleep, helped along by the pills I had taken and the comfort of the couch. I next opened my eyes mid-air in Mulder’s arms again. 

“Hey sleepyhead,” he said quietly. “Henry’s asleep. Where do you want to do, bed?”  
“Bathroom.”

He carried me through the bedroom and into our bathroom and gently sat me on the closed toilet lid. 

“Do you want to take a bath now or in the morning?” 

God this man knew me well. “Morning, I can manage in here.” I carefully stood and tested my leg, Mulder hovering in case I went down again. It hurt, but no more than it did a week ago. “I’m good, I think. I’ll meet you in bed in a few.”

Mulder kissed my forehead and shut the door halfway to give me some privacy. I used the bathroom and brushed my teeth, then tenderly undressed. I walked into the bedroom naked, much to Mulder’s delight, and shrugged on one of his t-shirts I had taken to sleeping in at night.  
I crawled into bed, careful of how my body moved, and curled around him. 

His hand came up to cradle my head against his chest and he ran his other hand up and down my body in an attempt to soothe me that just succeeded in waking up other parts of me.

“Feeling up to a little ego healing?” His suggestive voice rumbled in his chest and made me shiver. 

“I don’t know,” I asked coyly, “What do you have in mind?”

His free hand turned me onto my back and then crawled under the sheets between my legs, showing instead of telling. 

Needless to say, I felt a lot better before falling asleep that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys - just one more chapter to go! thank you all for reading and commenting and whatnot!
> 
> also, I have a new tumblr @ viceversawrites !! follow me there to watch me reblog xf content, other peoples pic, and (once I figure it out) my own fic!


	18. Chapter 18

I was exhausted. I knew from past friends and family that any sort of event or holiday when you have a baby is like a marathon and a sprint all at once but wow. This was our first holiday as a whole family with Henry, and it was a challenge and, if I do say so myself, a triumph. I was glad it was Thanksgiving because I had an excuse to constantly be aware of everything I was thankful for throughout the day. 

That was something I took seriously, recognizing the good in my life when I had it. There were too many people I had taken for granted in the past.

The diaper bag, or as Mulder affectionately called it, the baby go-bag, was currently depleted, sitting slumped in on itself on the kitchen table. It looked how I felt. By the time we got him into the car at mom’s, Henry was out like a light. He was passed around from person to person all day long, and when he wasn’t being fawned over he was playing with his cousins. Tara’s children were older than Henry but loved to play with him, thank goodness. 

I think my neck was strained from keeping my eyes on him all day. 

Mulder, bless him, was getting Henry wiped down and changed for bed and had graciously allowed me to collapse on the couch. The day was long but ultimately went better than my wildest dreams. 

Even the last few weeks had been overwhelming, not to mention the last two and a half months during which our lives had been completely flipped upside down. Two weeks ago we held interviews for the next generation of agents in the X files. It was an…illuminating experience to sure. All of the agents expressed an enthusiasm for this work that was unprecedented even five years ago when everyone still referred to us as The Spookys, which was probably our nicest nickname to date. 

We hired, or recommended for transfer, four agents that showed the most promise. Agent Jessica Walden, a veteran of the VCS and an old friend of Mulder’s, would serve as the agent-in-charge of the unit once everyone was fully trained. Agent Jeremy Hathaway, who had reminded me of Pendrell, also made the cut with his background and experience, and so did Agent Ellie Young, the tough pathologist who caught my eye weeks ago. The agent who reminded us both of Kersh also acted a little too much like Kersh in the interview and didn’t quite stand up to the other agents, so we went with Agent Kevin Wong from the BSU. 

Training the agents has been an odd experience. Mulder and I had taken turns, going through our files and procedures with the new agents. After this week we were officially on leave and listed as consultants to the X files unit and, as surreal as it was to finally unroll the tacky poster that had loomed over us behind Mulder’s desk for almost a decade, the closure of packing up the office for new agents was incredibly satisfying to have. 

At the end of last week, Mulder took Henry and I to the courthouse to sign some documents for the house and our wills. We, after talking through it, also legally changed Henry’s name from Henry Elijah to Henry Elijah Mulder, keeping his biological mother’s maiden name with him. It was nice, I’ll admit, making our family a little more official on paper. Just because it’s not conventional doesn’t mean it isn’t real and lasting. I still ponder changing my name, or hyphenating when we get married, but I’ve identified as Scully for so long that I don’t think I could manage the change.

I sighed, sinking lower into the couch as I felt the tension and strain in my muscles and mind start to unravel. Blearily I looked around the darkened living room, taking stock of the day.

Mulder had been increasingly nervous the closer we got to today. Despite my and my mother’s reassurances that everyone would love him as part of the family, yes even Bill eventually, he wasn’t the most prepared for the day. I think part of him is always ready for rejection, which breaks my heart, but all I can do is continue to show him love and acceptance and hope my family does the same. They did today, and I’m thankful for that. Well. Mostly. 

My thoughts were cut off when Mulder lumbered into the living room, rubbing his eyes in a way I was accustomed to seeing Henry do. 

“Hey,” I greeted. 

He flopped down onto the couch, his head in my lap and his feet hanging over the end. 

“Hey,” he mumbled into my belly, making me laugh at his nuzzling. 

“Well, we survived our first Scully holiday. How are you feeling?” I started carding my hands through his hair and he let out a content noise. 

“I think I might be dead.”

“I don’t know, Mulder, you’re feeling pretty corporeal to me.”

He laughed and stretched, moving closer to me. 

“Nah, I mean. It was a lot,” he said. “But it was good. I liked meeting Charlie and Luke, they’re great, especially as defense against Big Brother Bill.”

I smirked. Big Brother Bill is something Charlie would call Bill when we were kids, mocking him for being too uptight or not letting us break rules. It always rubbed him the wrong way and he’d usually leave us alone. The name stuck, and so did the taunting. 

“I mean I was definitely planning on hiding behind Henry all day—I couldn’t reasonably be punched while holding a baby—but Charlie and Luke were both great.”

“It’s nice to see Charlie so happy. For so long he was alone, and I think Luke is going to stay around,” I said. “I just wish they didn’t live so far away.”

“Maybe we can go to them sometime—I still know good people in England,” Mulder mumbled. 

I’d love to go sometime, but it’d likely be easier in a few years when Henry is a bit older. I put that on the back burner for now. But God, it was really good to see my little brother today. They’d be in town for a few more days and we were doing leftovers lunch at Mom’s tomorrow too.

Charlie was the first face I saw when we came into the house and he nearly picked me up in his hug. I was thankful that my ribs had totally healed or otherwise the bear hug would’ve put me out of commission for the day. He had turned to Mulder, who was still hiding a little behind me and holding Henry. Charlie approached Mulder and I could see him puff up his chest on the way.

“So, you must be Mulder. Charlie Scully,” he stuck out his hand and Mulder shook it, “and this is my partner, Luke,” he introduced as Luke came up behind him. 

Luke was tall, taller than Mulder, lanky and dark-skinned, and probably had the nicest smile I’d ever seen. The English accent didn’t hurt either. Charlie had stared down Mulder as he shook Luke’s hand and was satisfied with what he saw before relaxing. I can’t imagine being so ready to fight or defend a relationship when you didn’t know if a stranger was ignorant or not. Mulder was a good guy. 

Charlie, Luke and Mulder made fast friends and were engrossed in conversation most of the gathering, half the time taking Henry away for ‘guy time’ so he could show off his son. Charlie, and Luke more so, were a bit more open to the extreme possibilities Mulder championed than the rest of my family.

Bill had been standoffish to say the least, but Tara and Mom apparently had a few chats with him before Thanksgiving came around so he mostly stayed clear of any Mulder interaction. I’m very thankful to the strong women in my family for that.

Dinner was almost perfect, which was saying something because Scully family dinners had been anything but perfect for quite some time. Of course, after Ahab died, there was no regaining the family dynamic as before, and it only became more strained and mournful when Melissa’s chair was empty at the table too. I stopped going after a while, too sad and bitter and tired of being shamed for my life choices, for my lack of life outside the bureau. 

Part of me still wanted to fight it out, point to Mulder and Henry and say look, I didn’t ruin my life, I was never on the wrong track. My decisions led me to them, I wanted to scream. I don’t regret a single one.

But this Thanksgiving was full and loud and happy. I hadn’t seen Mom so content in years, especially with a handful of grandkids and Charlie present. Mulder, Luke, and Tara filled out our ranks, and Matthew, Elizabeth, and Henry kept us running in circles. Mom treated Mulder and Luke both like they were her own, just as she did Tara, and I could feel Mulder’s heart growing stronger and a little less vulnerable. 

“I could tell Maggie was happy he was there,” sighed Mulder, shifting again in my lap. “It’s hard to be away from loved ones for so long.”

I stroked his hair, absently thinking it was getting a little shaggy. “Mom was happy for all of us to be there. The past few years…not all of the holidays were so nice, especially for her.”

Mom had been in top form, stealing Henry from Mulder any chance she could and showing him off to Tara and Bill, fawning over the corduroy outfit, complete with orange bow tie, we had put Henry in. I couldn’t be happier that she was now thrice a grandmother.

“Henry is quite taken with her,” I mentioned. “The feeling is mutual across the board as well, the whole family loves him.”

Mulder couldn’t stifle a wide smile at that. “God, Scully,” he nuzzled my stomach. “I couldn’t be happier, I’m over the moon, that he’s going to have a big family that loves him and bothers him and will be there for him. It’s all I could’ve dreamed for him.”

Tears threatened at the sentiment. “For us, Mulder.”

We were quiet for a moment and I drifted in the peace of the moment. Mulder shifted again and gave up trying to contort his long body on the couch and my lap. Repositioned next to me he gathered me to him and we embraced sleepily. 

Before I had a chance to nod off in the comfortable lap of my fiancée, Mulder shook me gently and made us both move to the bedroom. We took turns brushing our teeth and dressing for bed, him in boxers and me in shorts and a tank. Usually at this time of year, I’d be in flannel pajamas with extra blankets on the bed but Mulder was a furnace when he slept, and we were down to just a sheet and a quilt, despite the chilly nights. 

Mulder crawled in behind me and slid his arm around my waist, spooning me. I’d never slept in the same bed with someone so tall and broad. Mulder made an excellent big spoon.

His hand wasn’t idle, stroking my front and gently cupping my breast. He did this freely, now, even on nights we didn’t have sex which, honestly, didn’t happen that often. Despite my exhaustion from the day I felt newly awake as he thumbed my nipple and began an attack on my neck with his mouth. Before I realized he turned me onto my back and was hovering half over me, pushing my shirt up for more access. 

I freed my arms and tossed the garment in a corner as we kissed, and his hand slowly, too slowly for my liking, skidded up my side to caress my breasts without the cotton barrier of before. 

He paused in his attention to my mouth, ducking his head to my breast. God, that felt good, and I shuddered at his mouth moving from kissing to sucking. His large hand not holding him above me squeezed then grazed my other breast. His touch sent shockwaves of liquid heat down my spine. 

I hadn’t been passive to his attentions. I ran my hands up his sides and into his hair, caressing it a little more roughly than when we were both drifting on the couch. I pulled my hands away to push down my shorts and he followed the motion, dragging the cotton shorts off of me and quickly divesting of his own boxers. I idly wondered why we ever get dressed for bed since our pajamas were almost always on the floor when we woke up. 

Mulder is gorgeous, even in the dim light from the windows. He leaned close and hovered again, his body taught and ready over mine, and ducked in to kiss me with more passion. He went again backwards, trailing his hands own my front and leaving a blazing path in their wake.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he breathed.

I quaked under him, bringing my knees up and apart, wanting to be joined with him once more. Mulder fit so well, despite or because of our size differences. I felt safe, loved, under his body. He straightened and positioned himself at my entrance, sliding in a few inches with a groan I echoed, feeling him everywhere form my toes to the top of my head. This never got old either. His knees came up under mine and he leaned in so he could kiss me, slowly working his way inside me thrust by thrust. Slowly but with a steadily building heat he was fully in me, gasping in the space between our mouths as he continues to drag himself slowly back and forth, back and forth. 

It was heaven, the heat, the press of his skin on mine, the sweet friction of us connecting. His weight pushed me into the soft mattress and I was surrounded on all sides, quickly becoming overwhelmed. He moved his mouth to the side of my neck, sucking at the spot he knew drove me crazy and that was it, I flew over the edge in his arms and was gone for seconds. 

He followed with a manly growl, nearly extending my orgasm to the point of sensitivity before he stopped the delicious grind of his hips into mine. 

We both struggled to regain our breath. With a press of lips to my sweaty forehead he pulled away, falling onto his side next to me. 

“You know what they say,” he managed, his chest still heaving with breath. “Practice makes perfect.”

My breathing turned to throaty laughter. He never failed to make me laugh in bed, one of the things I loved about him. Finally able to think properly again I turned on my side and kissed him quickly before relaxing. We were silent in our thoughts for a moment, still smiling. He started to drift into sleep until I broke the silence. 

“I want you to know how proud I felt walking into that house today, Mulder.” He looked over and grabbed the hand I offered him. I continued, feeling the need to get all of this out, to make sure he knew how I felt about today, what it meant to me. “How thankful, with you and Henry at my side.” I reached over and stroked his face. “I felt like I was finally complete, like what I had longed for had finally arrived. It’s—it’s not about leaving the X files or even just having a family, it was about our journey together. Us. We took the next step—in fact we took about six steps in a row all at once.”

He laughed, rolling to his back and taking me with him. I went more than willingly into his side. 

“I love you, Mulder,” I added quietly. “And I don’t expect our lives to be perfect, because, God, how boring would that be? I don’t think we could manage it anyway. I want us to be us, no matter what that ends up being.”

Mulder kissed my hairline and stretched his arms around me. 

“Good thing then, because our family is my only priority. It’s the most—most important thing that I have ever been given and I’m not going to mess it up.”

We slipped into a deep sleep, the events and exhaustion from today—from the last weeks—chasing us into slumber peacefully. Together, safe and under the same roof as our son, we dreamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all for following this story! it was an absolute delight to write and to read all of your comments! for people reading this as a completed work, please leave a comment or kudos to let me know what you liked!   
> more stories are coming soon. in the meantime, please follow me on Tumblr at viceversawrites

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all! I realized that there were plenty of fics where Scully has instant children, and none that I've seen with Mulder.  
> Feedback is much appreciated!


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